<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Logic and Trickster - Act 2 by Logic_and_Trickster</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22407160">Logic and Trickster - Act 2</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Logic_and_Trickster/pseuds/Logic_and_Trickster'>Logic_and_Trickster</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Phantom Thieves Meet Phoenix Wright - Logic and Trickster [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cross-Posted on deviantArt, Crossover</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 12:47:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>29,908</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22407160</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Logic_and_Trickster/pseuds/Logic_and_Trickster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Both the Phantom Thieves as well as Phoenix have talked to former criminal Masayoshi Shido about the potential threat of some unknown villain using Cognitive Psience to wreak havoc, and the direction he pointed them was to the Sniffsonian Museum. Said museum has been holding on to a very peculiar object, a "pearl" formerly owned by Futaba's late mother, Wakaba. It's unknown what kind of an item it truly is, but it is their only lead, and the circumstances are dire enough that the two parties find the need to work together for the first time.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Phantom Thieves Meet Phoenix Wright - Logic and Trickster [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1612450</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 2-1: The Start of the Investigation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>At the long awaited return of the group of friends in Cafe Leblanc, the former Phantom Thieves get right to researching the strange occurrences as of late, including the murders. They trade ideas together, and start to realize that there may actually be a pattern in terms of matters of foreign affairs. Under the microscope, they are able to discover a number of consistencies of information, and the Phantom Thieves may be on the right track. Will taking a visit to the recently-convicted Kaz Mizuzawa shed any light on what may be taking place behind the scenes? And what about other politicians and their stances on what's happening in the world?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>     April 10th, 11:56 am </em>
</p><p>
  <em>     Cafe Leblanc </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Opening the front door to this coffee shop rings a small bell, and it sends a shiver down my spine hearing it again. This is the ring I used to hear every time I came home from school, work, or exploring the city. For that crucial year of my life, Cafe Leblanc was my home. And a home away from home for my friends, at that. So many pleasant memories of using the place as our hideout...</p><p>    So it was no surprise when Ann texted me telling me that was the location we would meet at.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCISWaBTSRs"> Beneath the Mask (Instrumental) </a> ---</p><p> </p><p>     I can tell I have a big, dopey grin on my face as I enter the building, and I get a little emotional at the chorus of "hey!"s, "yo!"s, and "Akira!"s that my friends all cry out in unison as soon as they turn their heads to see me. It's barely a few seconds before they've all left their seats to surround me.</p><p>    "First dibs! I've got first dibs!" Futaba shouts, energetic as ever. She tackles me full force to give me a hug, which more or less knocks the wind out of me. "I missed you so much!!"</p><p>    "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes! How's it going, man!" Ryuji comments, giving me a friendly slap on the back, almost knocking me over unintentionally. Only two greetings down and I already feel like I've gone fifteen rounds in a boxing ring.</p><p>    "Hey, give the guy some space, will ya'?" a deep, fatherly voice insists from across the room. It can only have come from Sojiro Sakura, Futaba's foster father and the man who took me under his care for that fateful year. I see him behind the cafe's counter, cleaning a glass. He walks towards me and places his hand on my shoulder. "It's great to see you again," he tells me with a familiar kindness to his voice. "You look different without the glasses."</p><p>    Morgana's head pops out of my backpack. "Hey everyone! I'm here, too!"</p><p>    Sojiro curls his eyebrow and half-smiles in endearment. "I see the cat is still as noisy as ever," he comments jokingly. To him and anyone outside of the Phantom Thieves, it still sounds like Morgana is a normal cat who just happens to meow frequently. (It's only because we have been with him inside the Metaverse that our cognitions have adjusted and we can permanently understand him.)</p><p>    Morgana hops out of his hiding spot and onto the shoulders of the Phantom Thieves one by one, starting with Haru. "I'm so happy to see you again, Mona-chan!" she giggles as he rubs his face against her cheek. He leaps to Yusuke, Makoto, and then Futaba in much the same manner.</p><p>    Surprisingly, he even jumps towards Ryuji. Unsurprisingly, he simply uses Ryuji's shoulder to springboard straight toward Ann, whom he snuggles affectionately.</p><p>    "It seems some things never change," Yusuke chuckles, composed as ever.</p><p>    "Not to ruin the mood, but where's Mishima?" I ask, rather concerned. "You guys wouldn't tell me what happened over text. Is he alright?"</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    I hear the sound of a flushing toilet. Mishima comes out of the bathroom. "Hey guys, what'd I miss?"</p><p>    </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyTFQ1Z9un0"> Investigation ~ Opening 2016 </a> ---</p><p>    </p><p>    He has his arm in in a sling, but he's up and about like normal for the most part. What a relief to see him alright! The positivity is mutual, as he lights up upon seeing me. "Akira!" he calls, "I had heard you were coming back, but I had no idea you'd be here so soon!"</p><p>    "Thank goodness you're ok," I exhaustedly breathe, relieving my worries, "I take it the court trial went well?"</p><p>    Sae Niijima is here, too, as it turns out. She nods her head at me. "That's right. Mishima-kun is in the clear. I was going to buy everyone lunch to celebrate, but they all insisted on coming here."</p><p>    Sojiro laughs in the background. "And of course the food's on the house for you kids," he smiles.</p><p>    "I suppose I'll just have to cover all the fees and legal expenses instead," Sae asserts.</p><p>    "Why are you so determined to burn a hole in your pocket, sis?" Makoto asks in humorous disbelief.</p><p>    Sae returns an equally ambivalent expression. "I just feel so bad for being unable to defend Mishima-kun myself, even though I said I'd always be there for any of you. I have to do SOMETHING to show my support."</p><p>    "Oh, that's right, some other lawyer took up your defense, huh, Mishima?" I press for clarity.</p><p>    He nods. "That's right! A man named Phoenix Wright stood up for me. I didn't get to see the trial myself, but he proved me totally innocent," he explains, before excitedly raising his fist in front of his chest and leaning forward with determined excitement, "I even heard he got taken hostage at gunpoint by the real murderer, but he STILL managed to win and catch the bad guy!"</p><p>    I'm not sure if my eyes can widen anymore than they are already. Considering my own speechlessness, Morgana speaks for me. "What in the world happened in that courtroom???"</p><p>    "It's a long story, and it looks like the food is ready," Futaba answers, her passive dismissal due to her watering mouth. "We'll tell you all about it over the meal."    </p><p>    And what a meal it is. It's been so long since I've had the true Leblanc style curry, the bold flavors could bring a tear to my eye. Sojiro taught me a lot about cooking, and of course I can hold my own in the kitchen, but deep down I secretly feel like nothing can truly surpass the original. It's a good thing that everyone else does the talking, because I'm so busy stuffing my mouth that I can't speak anyway.</p><p>    They tell me all about what transpired during Mishima's trial. Apparently, the lawyer actually WAS held at gunpoint while the real killer tried to make his escape. Knowing what I know about Mishima owning that model gun, I already know how the story is going to turn out. Still, it's blood pumping hearing the details of what must have felt like a court drama. </p><p>    "So he proved that the gun was a model, and he wasn't actually in danger of being shot," Makoto explains. </p><p>    Futaba nearly jumps out of her seat to make grand gestures with her arm, raising her arm to point dramatically. "And it was right then, in front of everybody, Wright-san shouted, 'The one who fired both bullets and murdered Vi Aipi was YOU!'" </p><p>    "It was truly impressive!" Yusuke adds.</p><p>    Mishima and I are both captivated as if children during story time. "Whoa....." Mishima exhales.</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music end)---</p><p> </p><p>    "Niijima-san, are you alright?" I hear Haru ask. I turn to see Sae looking rather distant, leaning with her shoulder against the wall directly next to the front window while gazing out of said window. "You look like something is bothering you."</p><p>    Sae sighs--pun unintended--and responds to us indirectly without changing the direction of her stare. "It's about Vi Aipi. We know for fact that Mizusawa was the one to kill Aipi-san, but no one seems to know why."</p><p>    "Vi Aipi, you say?" Sojiro responds from across the bar counter, "Pardon me for interrupting, I've been tuning in and out. But I keep hearing that name. Are you talking about the politician?"</p><p>    Sae straightens her neck to look at Sojiro as he speaks. "That's right, Sakura-san. Their friend Mishima-kun was going to be in big trouble if he had been convicted, because Aipi-san wasn't some no-name. He is--well, was---a fairly influential man in politics over the last few years. He had made a reputation for himself by being an official who voted on his own morals, rather than following any party lines. For a number of different important votes, he has been a tie breaker."</p><p>    I cross my arms and lean back in the booth. "I can imagine why people might want him dead if he had been fickle on big issues."</p><p>    Sae nods. "I thought the same thing. However, there was an unsigned, unfinished check at the crime scene. Wright-san managed to reveal that money was the motive for Mizusawa... as far as we can tell."</p><p>    Makoto rests her forearms on the table and leans forward. "I've heard that tone of voice from you a million times. You aren't satisfied with that conclusion, are you, sis?"</p><p>    The older Niijima closes her eyes and lowers her head a bit. "That's right. I've got a feeling things aren't that simple. For starters, we don't know what the money was in relation to. I'm planning on going over to question Mizusawa once they get him situated. I'm going to stop by the evidence lockers and see if I can get a look at that check, too."</p><p>    "Trying to find out what the money dispute was over... that seems like a good course of action," Ann comments, "But I've got a bad feeling about all of this."</p><p>    Ryuji rotates his shoulders and hangs his elbows over the back of the booth, stretching out casually. "Same here. Call me crazy, but I think it might be related to everything else."</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANcWZHFIcIM"> Rise from the Ashes - Ending </a> ---</p><p>    </p><p>    "Do you mean about the things we were talking about yesterday?" Morgana is the first to catch on.</p><p>    "Yeah," Futaba confirms, "About the strange deaths Ryuji brought up."</p><p>    Sae raises an eyebrow. "Strange deaths...?"</p><p>    "Oh, right, I guess we wouldn't have mentioned this to Sae-san or Sojiro-san, or even Mishima-kun," Ann recognizes, "She's talking about a text conversation we had."</p><p>    "Is this perhaps... about recent instances where individuals are being murdered by people close to them?" Sae asks.</p><p>    "Wow! She's sharp as ever. I knew she'd catch on quick," Morgana praises.</p><p>    "That's exactly it!" Ryuji exclaims energetically, "How'd you know so fast?"</p><p>    Sae smiles politely, but softly, not losing her overall aura of seriousness. "I was considering there may be connections as well. I was thinking about my trial this morning, which was going on at the same time as Mishima-kun's."</p><p>    I suppose none of us had paid any mind to that. Mishima speaks up, recognizing that we never asked for details. "What exactly was your trial about, Niijima-san?"</p><p>    "Well, it isn't surprising that it went under the radar compared to yours, since I didn't end up dealing with anything as alarming as a hostage situation," she jokes, taking a sip of coffee, "But to make a long story short, I was representing a social worker from overseas named Mii Shunari. She was an exchange worker of sorts, as the corporation she works for is primarily focused on sending Japanese workers to aid foreign countries. She got accused of something pretty heinous, murdering one of the supervisors via strangulation. Said supervisor was the head of the global outreach program. Luckily, I was able to help prove she had an honest alibi, and as it turns out the actual murderer was a government worker from a different organization which was partnered with the program."</p><p>    She takes another sip, savoring the legendary flavor Leblanc's coffee has to offer, possibly to ward off the growing uncertainty in the conversation. "There's where I'm sensing something off. The true murderer was a personal friend of the victim. On top of that, I did some more digging. I found out the true criminal had also been tampering with the ledgers and budgeting behind the scenes, and was essentially sabotaging the project and the company itself, trying to make both fail."</p><p>    Ryuji is considerable less excited than usual, but seemingly more introspective as he narrows his eyes and holds his chin in thought. "And there goes another case of murder and betrayal between two close buds."</p><p>    Morgana leaps onto my shoulder and whispers into my ear. "I'm still not used to Ryuji NOT being a total moron. It's so bizarre."</p><p>    "Hey, I heard that," Ryuji snapped back, "I don't have the brains of some of you other guys, but what I do got is spirit. I've been trying really hard to be a better observer of things, because, honestly... I've been hoping that some day the Phantom Thieves would have a reason to get back together, sorta like this."</p><p>    "Well, I believe an intuition is something that can be honed and sharpened just like any other tool," Yusuke adds with professionalism to his voice, "And considering you were the first one to bring any of this to our attention, I'd say you've certainly improved."</p><p>    Morgana laughs with a toothy grin, jumping to his side to pat Ryuji on the shoulder. "Well, your name was Skull. It's only natural that there's a brain underneath. It just took a while to show."</p><p>    Skull blushes with frustration, "You guys sure know how to be backhanded with compliments..."</p><p>    "Well, we're certainly back together..." Ann smiles, "In fact, this feels just like old times."</p><p>    "Well, there's no real connection between the two events, as far as I can tell," Futaba jumps in. She had been quiet for a while, and it turns out that was because she was hard at work on her laptop. "I've searched public records, social media, work histories... no one in either Sae-san's case or Mishima's case had any relationship to one another. As far as I could dig up, the incidents seem isolated from one another."</p><p>    No one has anything to say initially, though the atmosphere feels on edge. Sojiro speaks up once more. "I hate to be the stick in the mud, but isn't it possible that this is just a coincidence?" he suggests.</p><p>    "If it were just these two things, then I would think the same thing," Sae concedes, "But more and more of these 'coincidences' seem to be appearing."</p><p>    Within her briefcase she has documents galore, and of them she pulls out a newspaper clipping to visually present her next topic. "Some of you may recall a story being covered a few weeks ago. One of Japan's ambassadors killed a foreign ambassador on a good will exchange. It was a huge scandal, and even still no one has been able to decipher a motive for the murder. The two were close colleagues who worked together many times in the past."</p><p>    Ryuji's getting worked up, and slaps his hands against the surface of the table as he jumps in. "And the business head who got killed a week ago! And two other politicians have been killed within a few months! And-"</p><p>    "Whoa there, calm down," Mishima cautions humorously, "You're going to spill everyone's drinks if you keep rocking the table."</p><p>    Rising energy in the room aside, Sae is still collected and nods her head. "You've been paying attention to current events, I see. I've been compiling information on a number of different incidents over the last few months, and everything you just mentioned sounded like what I've been researching."</p><p>    "I suppose most of those do sound familiar," Sojiro adds, "I heard about some of those on TV. But, do any of them have any relation to one another?"</p><p>    Sae gathers everyone's attention. "Well, let's lay them all out and see what similarities they share," she suggests. She has more than enough documents within her briefcase to cover the entire table. We immediately get started reading over all we can, and hopefully we'll be able to make some sense of this.</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p>    </p><p>
  <em>    April 10th, 2:11 pm</em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Cafe Leblanc</em>
</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDb_lh6ti1A"> Investigation ~ Examination </a> ---</p><p>    </p><p>    "Ugh..." Ryuji groans, "My head hurts..."</p><p>    Futaba holds her fingers to her temple and squints her eyes shut in discomfort. "I'm starting to get eye strain," she mentions, due to her having been doing all of her research on a laptop while the rest of us were physically sifting through information in front of us.</p><p>    Even the normally cheerful Haru seems worse for the wear. "How long have we been at this... "</p><p>    "I'm... honestly not seeing much that can connect these events," Ann tells us regretfully, "The only common point is that every situation involves someone acting in a way they wouldn't normally."</p><p>    "And that's not really much to go on..." Morgana mumbles, though his tone of voice suggests that he is still thinking deeply.</p><p>    Yusuke wears a slight frown. "Is it possible we're perhaps over analyzing things, and trying to find something that isn't there..?"</p><p>    "But..." Ryuji interjects, "At the same time, it's natural to assume that something is amiss when so many bizarre incidents take place in such a short amount of time, right?"</p><p>    Makoto holds her chin as her eyes make a slow sweep of everything on the table in front of her. "We're never going to make any progress while looking at so much information at once. At this point it's not even really clear what our goal is."</p><p>    She makes a good point. Now would make a great time to refocus, so I speak up to rally everyone into doing just that. "Ok, so let's summarize all this. There have been a slew of recent events both high and low profile. Even at their best, these cases have all involved someone betraying their morals or stances to act in an unpredictable way. At their worst, they've even involved murder."</p><p>    "Ok, that's a start," Makoto nods, "Now let's try to pick apart these instances one at a time. Let's start in order. A month and a half ago, that campaign manager killed the politician they were trying to promote."</p><p>    "Political assassination... that could be tricky to find a goal behind," Haru reasons.</p><p>    Sae's eyes light up ever so slightly. "That's right. And we'll only be able to relate these events if we can determine what the goals of the culprits were."</p><p>    "It's going to be hard to figure out," Ann points out, "Politicians have so many different issues they have opinions and influence on."</p><p>    "I've been probing the related figures to these cases," Futaba announces, having resumed her laptop browsing. "I'm going to keep searching around that date to see if there were any important votes or events that killing that politician would have impacted."</p><p>    "Alright. We should move on then," I suggest, "The next would be the foreign ambassador being killed by one of our own ambassadors."</p><p>    "Did that happen overseas or did it happen in Japan?" Ann asks.</p><p>    "In Japan," Sae replies, "The foreigner was in our country promoting the possibility of new trade deals."</p><p>    "Was that the only reason for the diplomatic visit?" Makoto questions.</p><p>    "I believe so, yes," Yusuke answers, holding one of the particular newspapers in his hand, "It says here that it was only a temporary visit of a few weeks. The trade deal was certainly the primary concern of the visit."</p><p>    "Ok, let's keep this moving. This is progress," Makoto cheers, still using an indoor voice, "Let's make note of that. If there was a reason behind the killing, it would likely have been because of an important trade deal."</p><p>    Ryuji seems to be getting back some of his energy and zeal now that we are getting somewhere. "Alright, well the next event was that CEO chick getting killed by her subordinate."</p><p>    "What kind of business was it?" Mishima asks.</p><p>    "It's a shipping company," Haru responds, seeming familiar with the subject, "They managed a lot of exporting, and my company did business with them quite often."</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-06hIfWzzOU"> Logic Construct </a> ---</p><p> </p><p>    "I can already see a pattern here," Morgana speaks to us, sounding very confident, "Exporting is another element of trade. So both of those involved trade in some way."</p><p>    "Hey! That's our first real connection!" Ann congratulates, "So what's next, another politician, right?"</p><p>    Our progress feels abruptly halted yet again. "The political ones are really the biggest roadblock yet," Sae points out, "There could be a million different reasons someone could be upset with a politician. Finding a motive for any of these would be hard, not even considering trying to find a common motive."</p><p>    "Working on it still," Futaba mentions passively, not even noticing her own tongue slipping out a bit as she focuses intensely on her online research.</p><p>    We all seem to reach the consensus to skip this one and come back. "So, our next incident was none other than Niijima-san's case with the social worker," Yusuke explains.</p><p>    "We already learned that the project was being sabotaged to fail from within," Ann recalls, "So that makes it clear that the goal was for the project to fail, even if it meant having to kill."</p><p>    Sae nods. "And that project was a global outreach program, and one of the biggest ones Japan has seen in years. It was aimed at sending and trading skilled workers with various countries as an exchange of talent and techniques."</p><p>    Haru leans her head to the side as she considers everything so far. "So someone really didn't like the idea of sending off Japanese workers to other countries, perhaps?"</p><p>    I think a lot of our team seem to be teetering on the edge of getting to the bottom of this, and are probably considering the same thoughts I am. </p><p>    "Foreign affairs..." I mention at first quietly, before repeating more loudly, "Everything we've looked at so far has dealt with foreign affairs with other countries."</p><p>    "So that just leaves my case..." Mishima speaks up, "Vi Aipi being killed by his own bodyguard."</p><p>    "Not another politician..." Ryuji groans.</p><p>    "Futaba, what have you found so far?" Makoto quizzes our navigator.</p><p>    She intertwines her fingers and stretches them to pop her joints. "Well, I've compiled a list of every stance these politicians have been confirmed to hold before they died. I pulled together a list of votes that have taken place in the past two months, as well, in case that could help."</p><p>    Before anyone can respond, Futaba's eyes widen and she presses onward. "And I think you're on to something, Akira! So I skimmed through all of those votes to see if any of them dealt with trade or foreign affairs."</p><p>    "What did you find?" I ask.</p><p>    Futaba gazes deeply into her screen as she rapidly scrolls her mouse wheel. "Well, it turns out that a very important new tariff law will be going into effect very soon. They just had a vote on it today, in fact. Tariffs can have a huge impact on how Japan interacts in the global setting. All of the politicians killed in this time frame would have been present during the vote... and on top of that, going through their stances leads me to believe that they would have all voted against the tariff. Including our unfortunate Vi Aipi-san."</p><p>    "Hey, they're talking about it on the TV right now, in fact," Sojiro draws to our attention. Sure enough, the talk show hosts are all talking about the new tariff law and what it will entail, and how surprising it is that it was able to pass in the first place when there was so much opposition to it.</p><p>    "So there really is something connecting all of these cases!" Ryuji exclaims.</p><p>    Sae's eyes are wider than I've ever seen them. "You've all really found a connection...! They all deal with foreign affairs!"</p><p> </p><p>    </p><p> </p><p>    The room feels really lively in our state of success, but over the next few seconds, a realization hits us.</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    Yusuke is the first to point out that realization. "So now that we have reason to believe all of these murders and betrayals are likely connected... what exactly can we do with this information?"</p><p>    "In all of these instances, the true culprits have been caught already, isn't that correct?" Haru notes.</p><p>    "That's right," Makoto confirms, "Which means that, if there is a common goal and a connection, it would need to be much larger than just one or two people."</p><p>    "Well, it wouldn't be our first time dealing with political conspiracies," Ann speaks, recalling that entire debacle with Shido.</p><p>    Makoto seems to be in a meditative state. "Aside from who could be behind this, there's a question we have to answer first. What aspect of foreign affairs would be their true motive?"</p><p>    Sojiro seems to be finishing up another round of cooking, but his voice sounds clear even as he speaks to us from across the room. "As long as you are all speculating, may I throw out an idea? From what you all have been discussing, everything sounds very isolationist. If this is another conspiracy and someone is behind everything, it sounds like they don't want Japanese interaction with other countries."</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdimY1_Vh1U"> Wicked Plan </a> ---</p><p> </p><p>    I certainly wasn't expecting any of us to get such a clear hypothesis from what little information we have. "That... does make sense. All of the businesses that were effected were sending their influence and their programs oversee. And then there's the foreign ambassador getting killed, that speaks for itself."</p><p>    "Not to mention, a tariff law can become a fairly substantial trade barrier against the rest of the world," Sae adds, "It seems to me like special interest was taken in making sure that tariff vote passed, considering how many politicians had to die for it to happen..."</p><p>    "Very impressive deduction, Sakura-san," Haru praises, "How did you reach this idea so quickly?"</p><p>    "People come in to Leblanc and talk politics pretty often," he explains, "And more than a few of them are old fogies and a bit... out of touch, I suppose. I can think of one pair in particular who are always talking about historical Japan."</p><p>    "Historical Japan?" Mishima repeats, "Are we talking historical as in, like, ANCIENT Japan? Or are we talking about pre-World War II? What's the time frame here?"</p><p>    "Well, both, I suppose," Sojiro clarifies broadly. "I'm speaking of how Japan spent centuries staying out of everyone else's business. Maybe I've just got those old folks' conversation stuck in my head because they were here right before you kids showed up. But the things you've talked about, be it trying to stop foreign exchange programs or trying to deter importing by a new tariff law... I can't put my finger on it, but the all seem relevant to Japan's relationship with the rest of the world."</p><p>    We all seem to be lost in thought. Sojiro coughs to clear his throat. "I mean, that's just how I was looking at it."</p><p>    "That's a rather compelling theory, actually," Yusuke agrees, taking a sip of coffee himself, "It certainly makes sense of the relationship these events hold with one another. But, I return to my earlier question... what can we do with this information?"</p><p>    Sae has already begun to gather and reorganize her documents. "I was planning on going to the detention center to ask Kaz Mizusawa a few questions."</p><p>    "What do you expect to learn from Mizusawa?" Ann asks.</p><p>    "I'm not sure, exactly," Sae admits, "Hopefully I can learn something about the check that was being written, and see if that gives us any new info at all. It might be worth a shot to ask if I can go through the evidence locker to see the check myself."</p><p>    "I see..." Morgana comments, "If Mizusawa is indeed related to some sort of bigger conspiracy, then it's possible that tracing such a large amount of money could give us new leads."</p><p>    "May I go with you?" Mishima requests, "I'd like to have some closure on this whole thing. Mizusawa DID shoot me, after all..."</p><p>    "Well, going with a huge crowd would certainly seem questionable, but I suppose one or two of you could accompany me if you'd like."</p><p>    "Oh! Then I want this guy to go, too," Mishima instantly replies, pointing right at me.</p><p>    "Huh?" I blink.</p><p>    "You are the leader, after all!" he justifies, "You aught to be as informed as possible before making any decisions, right?"</p><p>    "Sounds good to me," Futaba agrees, "I can tag along via your phone, too."</p><p>    I almost chuckle at Futaba's utter disregard to personal privacy, but by now I'm used to her invading phones freely.</p><p>    Sae nods her head. "Well, alright. We should get a move on, then."</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    April 10th, 2:49 pm</em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Suramā Prison Facility, Visiting Area</em>
</p><p> </p><p>    A guard leads up into the room where we will be conversing with Mizusawa. It's very bare-bones, and the only real features in the room are the chairs to sit in and the wall of glass meant to separate us from the prisoners. It's a nice change to be on the free side of the glass instead of the detained side. Sae, Mishima, and I all sit down and wait patiently as we watch the other half of the room from through the glass.</p><p>    A guard on the opposite side opens a door, and Kaz Mizusawa enters. The door is closed and locked behind him, and the guard stands dutifully at attention. </p><p>    The man looks rather odd. He seems to have helmet-hair, is wearing goggles, and they have put a mouth guard around his lower head. Really, I can't see any of his face at all. On top of it all, he has been restrained by a straight jacket. "Hello, sirs!" he greets, though he is very hard to hear through both the glass and the mouth thing.</p><p>    "You must be Mizusawa-san," Sae speaks formally.</p><p>    "Sir, yes, sir!" he answers in military fashion.</p><p>    Sae clears her throat. "I had a few questions for you, in relation to the events surrounding the murder of Vi Aipi."</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0DMkY-YDsw"> Detention Center ~ Elegy of the Bulletproof Glass </a> ---</p><p> </p><p>    "Was money the actual reason you killed your client?" Sae asks, jumping right to the point at breakneck speed.</p><p>    He turns his head off to the side slightly. "Well, not exactly, sir... it's complicated, sir!"</p><p>    "So, did the large sum of money have anything to do with the murder at all?" Sae continues.</p><p>    "Sir, kinda, sir! It's unexpected, but had Aipi-san accepted the money, none of this would have happened, sir!"</p><p>    Sae's doesn't seem surprised, for some reason. "Wait. You said, accepted? Wasn't Vi Aipi writing the check to you?" she asks, regardless.</p><p>    "That's incorrect, sir! That was my check, and I was writing it to him, sir!"</p><p>    "Hmm... that's the opposite of what was established in court," Sae leads the conversation.</p><p>    "Sir, permission to speculate, sir! I believe the foreign lawyer might have read the check wrong because he isn't used to reading in Japanese..."</p><p>    She nods her head. "I went by the evidence locker before coming here, and it's as you say. I was testing to see if you would be telling the truth, and it seems you are."</p><p>    "I have no reasons to lie, sir! I'm already arrested, sir!" he speaks with jarring detachment to the implications of his situation.</p><p>    "That's good. So allow me to ask... how was the money related to the situation?"</p><p>    His enthusiasm hides his slight hesitation. "Sir, well, you see, sir... it was a bribe, sir!"</p><p>    "A bribe for what?" Mishima asks.</p><p>    "It was for a vote, sir! I was tasked with paying Aipi-san money to convince him to vote in favor of a new law, sir!"</p><p>    !</p><p>    I find myself speaking aloud now. "Was it the law to pass the new tariff?"</p><p>    "Sir, yes, sir!"</p><p>    !!!</p><p>    Sae slaps the counter in front of the window and pushes to use the force of her arms to rise up out of her chair into a standing position. "Please, tell me more! You said that you were tasked! Does that mean you were working for someone else?!"</p><p>    Mizusawa's hesitation finally reaches an insurmountable state. "I can't say, sir! That would be betraying my contract, sir!"</p><p>    "Contract?" Mishima repeats, "What does a contract matter now that you are in jail?"</p><p>    "It's more important than that, sir!" Mizusawa answers, shaking his head violently. "With all due respect, sir, I'd sooner die than break my contract, sir!"</p><p>    With one look at his behavior and his new temperament, it's clear he isn't going to say anything else that could help us. </p><p>    "Alright," Sae closes her eyes, "Thank you for your time, Mizusawa-san," she says, bowing out and then leading us out of the room.</p><p>    "I'm actually getting kinda dizzy, guys," Mishima tells us. Though Sae and I are both concerned, he calms us. "Don't worry, it's not a big deal. I just think it may be time for me to go get some rest. I'm going to split and head home now."</p><p>    "Alright. You do that then," Sae confirms, "You've more than earned a good rest after what you've been through."</p><p>    Before leaving, Mishima nudges me. "And hey, keep in touch, alright? The Phan-Site is still running strong, you know. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you guys out."</p><p>    We part ways, with Sae and I going to return to the cafe. We'll definitely have some new info to talk about back at Leblanc.</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    April 10th, 3:40 pm</em>
</p><p>
  <em>    Cafe Leblanc</em>
</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdimY1_Vh1U"> Wicked Plan </a> ---</p><p> </p><p>    "So there really could be a connection! I knew it!!" Ryuji cheers with a fist pump.</p><p>    I nod my head. "If this murder and this tariff vote are indeed two parts of a bigger picture, this may be the proof we were looking for."</p><p>    Sojiro laughs in disbelief. "It's astounding, really. I can't believe that you all, out of the blue, picked up on an obscure set of events, found a connection, and discovered a secret conspiracy in just two days."</p><p>    Morgana hops onto my shoulder and sports a proud grin. "Information can be a treasure, too! Finding and taking treasure where no one else looks... this is what it means to be part of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts!"</p><p>    "It's definitely clear now that Mizusawa was in fact working for someone else," Ann reiterates, "Which means that this incident leads somewhere or to someone. And if this murder and tariff vote were just two parts of a bigger picture, then we just found our proof."</p><p>    Makoto is deep in thought now. "Now, the next question is, how can we trace this so-called 'contract' to find out more?"</p><p>    "I think I should take a stroll through Mizusawa's financial history, see where his money has been coming from..."</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    "Hey, uh, guys?" Sojiro calls, "You might want to look at the TV screen here."</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfpgVT-naD0"> Borderline of Madness </a> ---</p><p> </p><p>    "--directly from the neighboring nation of Koridai. At approximately 11:00 am JST, Vice President Tyson Rant gunned down three of the most powerful officials of the Koridainian government, including President Richard Tator. The entire state is in chaos," a young woman with a microphone cries out, "Rant was immediately subdued by military police as soon as the murdered happened, and he did not survive the gun wounds inflicted on him during his capture..."</p><p>    "What the hell...?" Ryuji mutters with shock written on his face.</p><p>    "... Vice President Rant has consistently proven himself to be one of the most loyal patriots in the country's history, so assassinating the President is an alarming and frankly horrifying turn of events."</p><p>    Haru gulps. "Oh my... do you think...?"</p><p>    "It sounds like this is yet another act of betrayal and murder, on a much larger scale..." Yusuke points out.</p><p>    Sae's sight is locked to the TV and her eyes are narrowed, and she has a foreboding scowl all over her face.</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    "The Prime Minister has yet to comment on this terrifying event. However, Chief of Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Force, Momus Melpomene, has begun broadcasting an emergency announcement."</p><p>   The screen changes to a scene of an austere man standing at a podium, wearing full military attire. This is the first time I've ever seen this person, though his title seems to denote significant importance. He doesn't look very Japanese at all, interestingly. </p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L29-dbnY7k"> A Cornered Heart </a> ---</p><p> </p><p>    "It is with a heavy heart that I react to today's disaster in Koridai," he speaks deeply, "For many decades, Koridai has been a staunch and dependable ally to our country. Such a profound loss to their nation is nothing short of a national tragedy to Japan as well."</p><p>    The man has a stern and rigid face, and is rather bulky. He's even a tad intimidating, in terms of height and presence. But, despite that, his disposition seems earnest, and he seems like he would be rather personable, under different circumstances. The incident in Koridai has clearly left an impression on his expression. "In frank terms, I see this horrendous act as a culmination of the very same dissent which lead to the once-active rebellion that was thought quelled last year. For that reason, I have decided to act upon one of the stipulations of our treaty with the fair nation of Koridai. Namely, in emergencies such as this one, I am invoking the permission given to Japan to act with military intervention. I am rallying special forces as we speak--"</p><p>    There is a sharp, painful silence all throughout Cafe Leblanc. However, the members of the audience of the speech on the TV are anything but silent. They have erupted completely into a worrying state of chaos. One reporter from the audience shouts a statement to the military man which can be heard over the loud crowd. "Melpomene-san! This is unprecedented!! Japan's very constitution prevents the act of extending military force to international disputes!"</p><p>    More reporters can be heard shrieking as well. </p><p>    "Is this an act of war??"</p><p>    "How can you justify an invasion of an allied nation???"</p><p>    "Is this even legal?!?!"</p><p>    By this point, so many onlookers have pressed upon the issue that Melpomene-san doesn't have much choice but to reply to those addressing him. "I understand full well how radical of a decision this is to make, but I implore you to consider the circumstances. Koridai's most powerful leaders have been killed in what intelligence suggests was an attempted coup. Their current state of governance is falling apart, and they need aid desperately. I believe Japan has every right granted to us by our treaty to step in and act to regain control of Koridai until their nation can recover from this calamity--"</p><p>    The crowd is in utter shambles, to the point where the chief of staff has to prepare to leave the podium. "My fellow citizens, expect to hear more from me as the situation develops. Thank you," he ends the speech on, as his associates lead him off the stage.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9LIt2xh_gU"> Restlessness </a> ---</p><p> </p><p>    "Isn't this like he's declaring war, kind of?" Ann questions.</p><p>    "It's more complicated than that," Makoto answers, "This is a really fragile situation, and it seems like the top brass of the military are really trying to push for an intervention."</p><p>    "Are we... going to invade another country...?" Morgana asks with hesitation.</p><p>    Ryuji blinks a few times. "Uhhh... where exactly is Koridai? I don't think I've ever heard of it before."</p><p>    "It's a small island nation in the Pacific," Sojiro answers back, "I had heard they had been struggling a bit lately. But I didn't know anything about a rebellion or anything like that."</p><p>    Haru rolls her lips back pensively. "They have been a very reliable trade partner towards Japan and several other nations, and Okumura Foods has even recently been working on overseas expansion there. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, the rebellion was because of how the people haven't always agreed on how to best utilize the plentiful natural resources of the nation."</p><p>    "There's something else we can't ignore, either," I add, weaving my fingers together and leaning my head into my hands, "This is yet another event dealing with trade and foreign interests, that involves unexpected betrayal and murder."</p><p>    The room is in a state of quiet but intense focus. Yusuke bites his lip. "You think... even something this big is connected to what we're looking into right now?"</p><p>    "It's certainly possible," Morgana replies as he paces back and forth across the table a few times before sitting down. "I wouldn't say that there's a definitive connection, yet, but considering that we've been dealing with hypothetical connections from the start, I definitely wouldn't rule this out as part of the bigger picture."</p><p>    "Hey, you guys, I've got an important announcement," Futaba speaks up, "Check this out. I got curious enough to do some digging into that military guy's life. Momus Melpomene, I mean. I checked out all of his recent involvements with current events. I found a recording of a speech he held no too long ago, and guess what it's about?"</p><p>    Futaba rotates her laptop so we can all see the screen as a clip begins playing.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8vJZIwZipE"> Telling the Truth 2007 </a> ---</p><p> </p><p>    The clip being played seems to be a trimmed segment from a larger speech, but it is of the same man in the same attire. "... with that being said, I believe our economy is our first step towards regaining a strong position in international politics."</p><p>    "Melpomene-san," a reporter interjects, "Such a strong tariff on foreign imports could easily stress our relationships with trade partners. Can you explain your reasoning for why strengthening our internal economy would help our presence internationally?"</p><p>   He has the same gravity of presence, but I was correct in assuming that he would seem personable. His expression appears earnest, and he is even smiling a bit. "I'm glad you asked that. You see, no one holds a greater dream of international cooperation than I do. I am a huge advocate of global unity in terms of trade, politics, and even cultural relationships. But, where I'm from, we have a saying. You cannot help others if you cannot help yourself. To that end, I believe we as a nation must focus on bolstering our economy first, before securing a stronger foothold in the global market. It is for that reason that I strongly encourage our representatives in government to deeply consider enacting the new tariff laws."</p><p>    "No way...!" Ann gasps, "It's that tariff law again!"</p><p>    Sae breathes in a contradiction of momentary relief yet looming anxiety. "I was worried we wouldn't be able to go any further with what little we knew, but it looks like our next lead has appeared right in front of us."</p><p>    Futaba nods. "I think this Melpomene guy is someone we definitely need to keep on our radar."</p><p>    Sojiro closes his eyes to think for a moment. "I see. So the Chief of Staff, eh? He's right in the middle of a major interaction between Japan and a foreign nation, and the incident that started it was a bizarre betrayal and murder. He also took a personal interest in supporting a very specific vote, and that same vote has connections to the murder of Vi Aipi which could also very well be related. The murderer in that case claims to be under contract, which means somebody else was calling the shots to have that politician killed. It would make sense that someone very invested in seeing that vote pass could be behind eliminating a politician who would have voted against it."</p><p>    He adjusts his glasses and taps his fingers against the bar counter. "When you think about it, this is a whole lot of uncanny connections to this idea of a greater conspiracy. It's looking less like coincidences and more like a pattern..."</p><p>    "Then, it's essentially decided," Yusuke declares, "We need to observe this man, Momus Melpomene. He has far too many abnormal relationships to all of these incidents, and that makes him a person of interest to this investigation."</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    Morgana inadvertently draws attention to himself with a few small laughs. "I'm proud that you all still have it in you. I was worried you guys would be rusty at being Phantom Thieves, but you guys have been super sleuthing like nobody's business. I'm sorry I doubted your suspicions, Ryuji. It looks like you were right from the start that something is definitely amiss."</p><p>    Morgana raises his paw towards Ryuji, who seems skeptical at first. After a moment of hesitation passes, he returns the gesture by giving Morgana a fist bump (paw bump?). It's good to see those two getting along. </p><p>    Haru joins in on the laughter. "This certainly is exciting! I'm just happy to have us all sitting around the same table again. It's great to see everyone after so long."</p><p>    Makoto jumps in on the waves of positive emotion, and by now the entire room is feeling cheery. "Considering there's not much more we can do for this investigation at the moment, why don't we set it aside? This really is our first time back together in years now. We should go somewhere or do something fun to celebrate!"</p><p>    Futaba crashes head first into the conversation. "Ooo! Oooo! I know! Let's go hang out in Shibuya! The arcade is still open, there are tons of shops and stuff, and later tonight we can maybe catch a movie!"</p><p>    "Now that's a plan I can get behind," I agree, myself smiling brightly. "Let's get a move on, then."</p><p>    We all gather our things and prepare to leave. "You kids have fun," Sae tells us, "I'm going to stay for more coffee for a while."</p><p>    Sojiro tosses me a key that I haven't held in a long time, but a key I'm intimately familiar with. "Use the shop whenever you'd like. And I haven't really moved or changed anything in your old room upstairs, if you need a place to stay."</p><p>    I can't help but hug my psuedo-dad before heading out with the others.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>     To be continued... </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjLWGyx4zoA"> Victory </a> ---</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>     Would you like to save your game?  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>  <em>   Yes                            No </em> <em><br/></em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2-2: Dueling Destinies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Taking advantage of an otherwise embarrassing mistake of missing a train, Akira is able to get a little closer to a politician named Kigeki Yokubō, even managing to steal a check from him. Despite this mystery seeming larger and deeper than ever, they have to stop their digging upon learning the Phoenix and Maya have been investigating the same things. As the two of them are not aware of the danger they may be in, the Phantom Thieves will have to think quickly to keep the traveling foreigners from getting into danger.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>  </em>
</p><p>    <em> April 10th, 7:32 pm </em></p><p>
  <em>     Shibuya Station </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf7a_MZXuDk"> Tokyo Emergency </a>---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Life has continued moving on for the city, that's for sure. Despite the high profile state of affairs going on in Koridai, those walking the streets have long since returned to their daily routines. In fact, things are so busy, I happen to have gotten separated from the others during one particular rush of people. We were trying to board one of the trains back home, and while some of us made it, the doors closed on the rest of us. Looks like Yusuke, Ryuji, and I are all out of luck and have to wait for the next train.</p><p>    Ryuji kicks his leg in frustration. "Man! This is friggin' embarrassing!" he vents.</p><p>    Yusuke contrasts the frustration with his own calmness. "It's actually a little amusing, in my opinion. There is a certain sense of beauty to the unpredictability of life."</p><p>    I notice that my bag feels lighter. "Looks like Morgana hopped out and followed the others, too."</p><p>    A vibration in my pocket tells me that the others are reaching out.</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Ann: Yikes. Sorry. Didn't know we were so late that the doors were going to close on you.</p><p>    Futaba: Morgana is telling me to tell you he blames Ryuji.</p><p>    Ryuji: I was thirsty and had to buy a soda, sorry!!</p><p>    Haru: Shall we all meet up back at Leblanc?</p><p>    Makoto: You shouldn't be too far behind us if you take the next train.</p><p>    Yusuke: Then it's settled. We will see you there.</p><p>
  
</p><p>    I change from my messaging app to my internet browser and go back to reading an article I was checking out. It's one of many news columns published dealing with local politics, particularly the vote on the new law that happened earlier. As it's such a recent event, details are still coming in hot, but the speediest journalists are already compiling what information in available. Here, I find myself looking at a list of who voted for and against the tariff being enacted. </p><p>    As I browse, Ryuji and Yusuke seem to be talking about a new movie that came out, though I'm not paying too much attention, as the information in front of me is what has my focus. It's rather distracting in the busy subway tunnels with all of the people and noise. It brings back memories of trying to read through all of those books on the train to school.</p><p>    Well, normally it wouldn't be as hard to concentrate as it is now, because there is some kind of big shot coming out of one of the many train cars with a few bodyguards, and they are making a bit of a scene. "Looks like we arrived ahead of schedule," one of the guys in suits says, I think.</p><p>
  
</p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    I'm nearing the end of the list within the article, which has been alphabetical by family name. At virtually the same exact moment that I hear the name Yokubō, I read the same name. Yokubō, Kigeki. One of the politicians who voted in favor of the tariff. This might be a fortunate situation, and I nonchalantly attempt to listen in on the person and their guards. Since I'm trying to use my peripheral vision, I can't immediately tell which one is the politician, because they are all wearing black suits. It couldn't hurt to listen in a little in hopes they say anything interesting, right?</p><p>    </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hynQcpm71DY">Suspicious People (Dual Destinies)</a>---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    "Whooooo boy, what a stressful day!" one of them exhales in an almost comical tone. His voice is a little squeaky, almost. I try to look at little more closely at the crowd of people without making my intentions obvious, and upon closer inspection, the one who just talked with the funny voice definitely stands out from the rest of them. His suit is pure white as if he were going to a wedding. On top of that, he has white hair that comes out in wavy lines like a mad scientist. The group begins whispering far too quietly for me to hear from the distance I'm at, so I casually walk a bit closer.</p><p>    It's been a while since I've tried doing this, but my special senses should come back to me if I give it a shot. I try to use the special ability I possess, and the world around me darkens as I gain the sensation of having a third eye. In this state, it's much easier to hone my focus towards the group specifically, and I begin to hear their hushed conversation.</p><p>    "You should be able to rest and relax, now that things are quieting down," one of the others tells him. "I'm sure your associates will be pleased with today's outcome, as well."</p><p>    "Ain't that the truth," the white hair nods his head, "I'll finally have some good news to bring for once. This plan already seems to be working in our favor."</p><p>    "Are you certain it's a smart idea to scheme behind his back like this?" one of them asks.</p><p>    "He's got delusions of grandeur," the man brushes off, "But it's easy to get on his good side. And soon I'll be the one calling the shots."</p><p>    "As long as you are comfortable brown nosing, sir," one of them replies with a straight face.</p><p>    "Oh, don't say it that way. I'm just riding on his status to gain more influence. It'll all work out. But, hey, can I have a drink?"</p><p>
  
</p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    "Your water, sir," another guard speaks up, handing Yokubō a bottle.</p><p>    "Thanks, man!" he returns amiably, and he wastes no time gulping down a huge portion of the drink. "I sure hope we can get this meeting over with quick. My wife and daughter are expecting me for dinner."</p><p>    As he prepares to leave the boarding platform to head up the stairs, I've already made my decision to follow him. They said way too many suspicious things to ignore. </p><p>
  
</p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9LIt2xh_gU"> Restlessness </a>---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    My vision and focus feel laser guided while I'm in my third eye state, and I notice something peculiar. There's a glowing object on Kigeki Yokubō's side, perhaps something in his pocket. For it to have a bright, golden aura, it must be something crucial. I was granted this power of observation from the Velvet Room, so some force at work must be telling me the importance of this object.</p><p>    Another train arrives at the station, and a crowd of people begin rushing towards the doors, and soon I'm within a sea of people. This could be my chance to get close without being noticed.</p><p>    I dance my way through the crowd, slipping through gaps like an eel. In a matter of moments I'm nearly standing next to the politician and his bodyguards. In one swift, fluid motion, I reach into Yokubō's pocket and snatch the item from him, without being seen.</p><p>    It's a checkbook... hmm. This is an important enough item that he'll definitely notice if the whole thing goes missing. Thinking quickly, I tear a single check from the book. I'm sure he won't miss one little check. Now, to get it back to him.</p><p>    "Sir, you dropped this!" I call innocently. The people immediately surrounding me turn towards me, including Yokubō and his guards. I hold out the checkbook in plain sight.</p><p>    He squints his eyes and looks at the book for a moment. He double checks his own pocket and must recognize that his checkbook is no longer there, and the one that I'm holding is his. "Thank you, young man!" he smiles, taking it back. Bam. In and out with him none the wiser. I don't exactly know what I can learn from a check, but I'll certainly hang on to this and show the others later.</p><p>    I feel a hand grab my shoulder. "Akira!" Yusuke calls to me, "You're going to miss the train if you don't hurry."</p><p>    As I'm dragged back by my friend, I see the politician slowly leave my sight. With that, I'm on the train, and the doors slide closed. The train starts up, and leaves the station.</p><p>
  
</p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    "Now heading to, Aoyama Itchome," I hear the automated voice announce.</p><p>    Wait.</p><p>    "Yusuke... did you lead us onto a train going in the opposite direction...?" Ryuji asks with hesitation.</p><p>    "What? They told us to get on the next train," Yusuke returns.</p><p>    Ryuji sighs heavily. "You can be so oblivious sometimes, dude."</p><p>    "But... I thought for certain..." Yusuke mumbles, and his voice trails off as he recognizes his mistake.</p><p>    I chuckle. "I guess we'll ride this one out and turn around at the next stop."</p><p>    Yusuke looks at me. "Akira? Who was that man you stole from?" he asks, with directness so blunt it nearly knocks me over. </p><p>
  
</p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cq1vm52wr8"> Residents of Fog ~ Suspicious People </a>---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Yusuke is certainly the type of person with a sharp enough eye to notice my pickpocketing yet naive enough to get his trains mixed up. I 'shhhh' him to quiet down, and thankfully no one else on the train heard what he just said.</p><p>    "That was Kigeki Yokubō. I noticed he was one of the politicians who voted for the tariff law we were talking about today," I explain quietly, leaning in closer to lower my voice even further, "He was talking about some sort of plan and using someone's name to gain influence. It all sounded really shady."</p><p>    "That a fact?" Ryuji speaks, entering the conversation. "Man, I'd be surprised if we found another lead so quickly. It's almost too convenient!"</p><p>    I hold my chin in thought. "If this really is on a grand scale like Shido's ambitions were, it wouldn't surprise me if there's a network of involved individuals all in on something secret."</p><p>    "We <em> have </em> dealt with sizable conspiracies before," Yusuke points out, "Our eyes and ears have essentially been trained to notice things such as these." </p><p>    "I've been searching for more info on him in the meantime," I add, still looking at my phone, "And check this out. Yokubō is in a picture here from a newspaper run a few months back. And guess who he's with?"</p><p>    I hold up my phone to show the other two, and their eyes widen. Yusuke gently grabs the phone to angle it closer to himself as I hold it. "That's the military man from before...!"</p><p>    "Yep. It's Momus Melpomene," I concur, "And Kigeki Yokubō seems to be facilitating a meeting between him and this other person. He's holding both of their forearms as they shake hands."</p><p>    The person we speak of is a young woman, rather on the tall side and of about equal height to Kigeki. She has snow-white hair that has a single strand of striped silver accenting her look. Her hair as a whole, which is slicked back so it looks formal in the front, extends from the base of her neck in sporadic spines, making it look a tad messy in the back. Yet, her appearance is clearly under her control, as the sheen of her hair suggests that it's been gelled. She's wearing a suit as well, which is a very bland shade of grey. Overall, she looks very professional, though her hair gives her a certain aura of whimsy. She's smiling lightly in the picture, as is Momus, but both of their smiles pale in comparison to Kigeki as his teeth are on full display, ear to ear.</p><p>    "It says her name is Yashin Yokubō," Yusuke reads aloud, "She must be related to this Kigeki character."</p><p>    "And we may have hit the jackpot with this guy," Ryuji grins.</p><p>    "Is that so?" Yusuke prods with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>    "Well, think about it this way," he explains, "If this guy was dumb enough to be openly talking about secret plans in public, he's probably going to be a good source of information if we can find him and investigate some more."</p><p>    I reach into my pocket to feel the stolen possession to make sure I still had it with me. "The timing on that crowd of people was perfect, so I was able to slip by and snatch his checkbook without being noticed. I ripped a check out of it... who knows, we might be able to glean something from it."</p><p>
  
</p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Our phones buzz in unison. The others must be contacting us.</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Haru: It's been a while. Is everything ok?</p><p>    Akira: It's a long story.</p><p>    Ryuji: No it's not.</p><p>    Ryuji: Yusuke dragged us onto the wrong train.</p><p>    Yusuke: I trust that you two will eventually let me live this down.</p><p>    Ann: Always an adventure with you guys...</p><p>    Futaba: Oh man.</p><p>    Futaba: Oh man oh god oh man.</p><p>    Makoto: What's the matter, Futaba?</p><p>    Futaba: Ok so this is potentially bad.</p><p>    Futaba: So I was checking the app that I programmed that lets me use GPS to track the phones I've bugged.</p><p>    Makoto: Please don't make me have to arrest you some day for this.</p><p>    Futaba: I'll apologize for cybercrimes later.</p><p>    Futaba: I was just meaning to look at Akira's phone really fast to see where they were.</p><p>    Futaba: But I noticed something.</p><p>    Futaba: Mishima's lawyer, Phoenix Wright.</p><p>    Futaba: For whatever reason, at around 4:00 pm today, he went to visit...</p><p>    Futaba: Masayoshi Shido.</p><p>   </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwSVn-6mE5Q"> Suspense (English Court) </a>---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Ryuji: Hold up.</p><p>    Ryuji: What?</p><p>    Haru: Whatever reason would he have to do that?</p><p>    Ann: Morgana wants to say that he's worried Mr. Wright may be sticking his nose where it doesn't belong.</p><p>    Akira: What kind of person is Phoenix Wright? I'm the only one here who hasn't seen him.</p><p>    Makoto: My sister trusted him implicitly based on his reputation alone.</p><p>    Futaba: Yeah. He's very clever, and his quick thinking surprised me.</p><p>    Yusuke: He's quite capable. Consider how effectively he saved Mishima, as well as discovered the real killer.</p><p>    Akira: So... I can assume that if he went out of his way to see Shido, he must be trying to learn something.</p><p>    Makoto: Cognitive Psience, perhaps?</p><p>    Futaba: I was concerned about the same thing.</p><p>    Haru: I see... so what makes this worrisome is that he may get involved into what it is we're trying to investigate.</p><p>    Futaba: And it gets worse.</p><p>    Futaba: About an hour and a half ago, it looks like he was paying a visit to the house Akechi used to live in.</p><p>    Futaba: IMHO, we definitely can't ignore that. Who knows what he's doing at this point.</p><p>    Haru: From what I can tell, he has a good heart.</p><p>    Haru: He stood up for Mishima-kun without a second thought, without even knowing him.</p><p>    Ann: So it would be an even bigger tragedy if Mr. Wright and his assistant get wrapped up into something dangerous and get themselves hurt, or worse.</p><p>    Ryuji: So a guy like him would definitely have good intentions, at least?</p><p>    Futaba: That's likely. But, intentions aside, he could be getting himself into trouble.</p><p>    Futaba: I know we're all excited about making so much progress in our investigation, but we're still almost completely in the dark about a lot of things.</p><p>    Futaba: We have no idea who our enemies are, or how many of them there are, or how dangerous they are.</p><p>    Yusuke: And neither does he. He may not even realize that he is putting himself in danger.</p><p>    Makoto: And we have no idea what Mr. Wright is thinking, either. It's too risky for us to let him investigate on his own.</p><p>    Akira: My vote goes to 'Alibaba' having a chat with him.</p><p>    Akira: If we simply get in touch with him and ask him the right questions, we can at least figure out what's going on.</p><p>    Futaba: I've been texting him this whole time, but no response. His phone isn't on the map anymore either.</p><p>    Ryuji: Can you call him? Just use a fancy voice modifier or something.</p><p>    Futaba: Tried that too. Couldn't make a connection.</p><p>    </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Akira: Well, let's think this through then.</p><p>    Akira: Where was his phone last located?</p><p>    Futaba: In the train tunnels heading back to the city. It lost signal and I haven't seen it since.</p><p>    Ryuji: That sounds bad. Did something happen to him?</p><p>    Makoto: It's possible his phone may have died?</p><p>    Haru: Let's hope that's the case.</p><p>    Ann: I'm looking at the map on Futaba's phone now, and it looks like he was heading back into the city.</p><p>    Ann: My guess is that he's staying in a hotel somewhere, and was going back home for the night.</p><p>    Makoto: Sis probably exchanged contact information like that with him, I bet she would know where he's staying so we can verify that.</p><p>    Akira: Ok, moving on to the next points of interest. Shido and Akechi.</p><p>    Yusuke: It's been a long time since we've heard those names together.</p><p>    Haru: However, Akechi-kun is...</p><p>
  
</p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ED7kzAmnAY"> Confession Secret </a>---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    I grit my teeth, slightly. A plethora of memories flood my mind, and I think back to everything that happened between our group and Goro Akechi, the so-called ace detective. In all honesty, had he genuinely come to us for help, we really could have been friends. And in his last moments, I believe he really did have a change of heart. That makes reality all the more tragic... the last memories we have of Akechi were of hearing his voice from behind a blast door, begging us to stop Masayoshi Shido in his place, before being silenced by a gunshot.</p><p>    It seems to me that the others are all anguished by these memories as well. No one sends any text messages for what must be several minutes.</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Ryuji: Damn... I feel so bad. His life was really effed up...</p><p>    Makoto: At least we honored his final wishes.</p><p>    Akira: True. So let's get back on point.</p><p>
  
</p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_pKQCJuK_c"> Confrontation ~ Moderato 2009 </a>---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Akira: Mr. Wright would have no way of knowing who Akechi was, or how he could be relevant to anything.</p><p>    Akira: But he visited Shido first.</p><p>    Akira: It stands to reason that he learned about Akechi through talking with Shido.</p><p>    Akira: Whatever they discussed, it absolutely had to do with everything that happened a few years back. </p><p>    Futaba: That's gotta be the case.</p><p>    Ann: Should... we go to see Shido, as well?</p><p>    Ann: We could go and ask him directly what they talked about.</p><p>    Akira: You're right on the money, Ann.</p><p>    Akira: I was thinking of splitting into two groups, one for Shido and one to go to Akechi's house.</p><p>    Akira: Well, three groups, if Sae can find Mr. Wright. We can try and meet up with him as well.</p><p>    Makoto: That's a no-go, sorry.</p><p>    Makoto: Sis doesn't know where he's staying.</p><p>    Futaba: And his phone is still dead. I can't track him atm.</p><p>    Akira: Ok, back to two groups then.</p><p>    Haru: With the direction you three are headed, you should be closest to Shido.</p><p>    Yusuke: That's a good point. Perhaps fate intervened in our taking this train.</p><p>    Ryuji: Or maybe you just weren't paying attention...</p><p>    Akira: So the rest of you can go scout out Akechi's home. It's settled.</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Alright, now we've got our teams in motion. This is good. Action is always better than inaction in these situations, so I'm glad we're already on top of things. Phoenix Wright is definitely an unexpected complication, but I'm sure we can figure out what's going on and react accordingly.</p><p>
  
</p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p>    </p><p>    <em> April 10th, 7:54 pm </em></p><p>
  <em>     Suramā Prison Facility, Visiting Area </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Didn't expect to be back in the same visiting room so soon.</p><p>    "This feels unreal, man... seeing Shido again..." Ryuji mentions as he thinks out loud.</p><p>    Yusuke seems on edge as well. "It will likely be uncomfortable, to see such a prominent and frightening ghost from the past."</p><p>    "Just try to relax," I tell my friends to calm them, "We'll just ask a few questions and head right back to LeBlanc after."</p><p>    This isn't actually the first time I've personally talked with Shido since his detainment. Right after everything settled down, and a few hours before I left the city to go back home, I sat down and talked with Shido one on one. Part of my reasoning was to make absolutely sure the change of heart was genuine, but another large part of it was for personal closure. This man changed the course of my entire life, for better or worse, and I needed to lay matters to rest to move on.</p><p>    I wouldn't say we had a particularly nice chat, but it wasn't awkward either. It felt like it was meant to be. He talked to me about his goals and aspirations, and why it was he used the Metaverse to do what he did. He was wholly apologetic, and he sounded quite frightened of the man he was. As a final favor, and a bit of good will, I told him directly that the Metaverse no longer exists. I figured with the newfound honesty and goodness in his heart, he deserved a bit of closure as well, if only for peace of mind to know that no one else would be able to use the Metaverse for evil again.</p><p>    From within the prison side, a door creaks open, and Masayoshi Shido is lead into the room. Ryuji and Yusuke seem surprised to see him within an orange prisoner's uniform, and without the tinted shades he had always worn. He looks a lot less intimidating without them.</p><p>    As he enters the room, his eyes widen a bit upon seeing me. Though it's been a few years, he certainly recognizes me. "It's... you?" he speaks with genuine surprise.</p><p>    "You sure are getting a lot of visitors today, Shido-san," the prison guard jokes with a friendly tone, "But be sure and wrap this up quick, visiting hours are almost over."</p><p>    "May we have some privacy, officer?" Shido asks. The man nods and exits the room. I suppose a man like Shido likely still gathers a lot of respect. "Good. Now we can freely discuss your, 'careers,' shall we say."</p><p>    The three of us sit down in the provided chairs, and Shido does the same in his chair on the other side of the glass. "It's been a while," I mention.</p><p>    "... That it has," he agrees.</p><p>    "If it's all right with you, we would like to just ask a few questions about earlier today," Yusuke explains.</p><p>    Shido nods respectfully. "I'll see what I can answer for you."</p><p>    Ryuji flips his chair around backwards and uses the back to prop his crossed arms and lean forward. "You met with a lawyer in a blue suit with pointy hair earlier, right?"</p><p>    </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca4cWcQl-tk"> Cross Examination ~ Moderato 2013 </a>---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Shido nods. "I had a feeling that's why you were here. I'm not surprised you kids would be getting involved based on what we talked about."</p><p>    Confirming this fact was a formality, as we already knew this was true. It's time to get to the meat of the conversation. "Why did he approach you?" I ask.</p><p>    "He and his assistant were both looking into a suspicion they had, and one that is very relevant to you Phantom Thieves as well. I'll be blunt: they are worried that Cognitive Psience is being abused again for some sinister purpose."</p><p>    Here we go. This is the game changing information we need to hear. "Did he mention at all what gave him those suspicions?" I further.</p><p>    "Yes," is the quick response, "He had been investigating matters related to recent politics and a series of questionable deaths. He had drawn connections all the way from a recent local murder to the horrific murders in Koridai, and is beginning to think that everything is connected in some way."</p><p>    I believe the other two have the same look of surprise on their faces that I do. Yusuke closes his eyes briefly to think. "So he's likely already on the same page as us."</p><p>    Shido seems a bit suspicious for a moment. "What is your group's connection to Mr. Wright? Are you working with him? Or against him...?"</p><p>    "We certainly aren't enemies," I answer.</p><p>    Ryuji nods eagerly. "We're worried he's getting in over his head, and that's why we're trying to follow him and find out just what he's trying to do."</p><p>    Shido holds his chin as he contemplates our discussion. "I see. He didn't seem to know anything at all about Cognitive Psience before speaking with me. I suppose he has never been exposed to any of these matters before."</p><p>    "And that is exactly why he's in danger," Yusuke agrees, "If at all possible we would like to locate him and get a hold on this situation before it gets out of control."</p><p>    "I understand. I'll help you," Shido agrees. "However, I have one condition."</p><p>    "And what may that be?" Yusuke asks.</p><p>    "If he truly discovers that there is sinister work at play, and that someone is out there using supernatural means to kill once more... I don't want you to impede his work. In fact, I'd like to request that you work with him, if that's the case. Cognitive Psience should never be used for murder ever again."</p><p>    Shido has a look of fierce determination on his face. Ryuji eyes him suspiciously. "I never thought I'd hear you of all people say that."</p><p>    "I... understand why you would be distrustful of me. I've caused you no shortage of problems. But, believe you me, I am glad you put a stop to what I was trying to achieve. I don't want to see anyone else cause the kinds of damages I did. That's why I answered Mr. Wright's questions, and why I've told him everything I know. It's because he and I both desire to see an end to whatever evil could be lurking in the shadows right now. I'm rightfully contained within these prison walls, and can do nothing myself... but you and your group can act. Will you help Mr. Wright and Miss Fey to do that?"</p><p>    "Shido, you already know our answer," I smirk.</p><p>    Shido rests his eyes and smiles. "Heh. Who knew a day would come where I'd be ecstatic to know you young punks are sticking your nose in my business again. I'll tell you everything I told him."</p><p>    "Thank you," I say preemptively.</p><p>    "I pointed Mr. Wright and his assistant in two directions. Firstly, the research data on Cognitive Psience. I gave a backup hard drive to Goro Akechi for safekeeping, and it's likely still at his house. Provided Mr. Wright hasn't already found it, that is."</p><p>    The three of us continue to listen intently.</p><p>    "Secondly, there's a loose end that even I haven't been able to figure out. Among the parts of Wakaba Isshiki's research I repossessed, there was a strange item. Isshiki-san kept a pearl-like object inside of a ring box which she always carried around. It was even on her person when she died."</p><p>    Shido chokes up for a few moments, seemingly in remorse. "I was never able to understand what it was, or what it had to do with her research. I eventually assumed it was some kind of personal heirloom or some such thing, and deemed it irrelevant."</p><p>    "A... pearl?" Ryuji repeats, "What the eff would that have to do with Cognitive Psience?"</p><p>    "As I said, I have no idea. Still, I didn't want to discard it, as it could have become relevant in the future. I trusted its care to the Sniffsonian Museum under the stipulation it would be kept a secret, and that I could come to reclaim it at any time. Such a reputable museum would take good care of an otherwise trivial item while I focused on other matters."</p><p>
  
</p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Our phones ping, and we all check to see what's up with the others.</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Makoto: No luck with Akechi's house.</p><p>    Makoto: The police have it taped off.</p><p>    Akira: What?</p><p>    Ann: An officer there told us that the home had been investigated earlier for potential ties to the Mizusawa case.</p><p>    Futaba: And if they have it barricaded, they must have found something. I guess we were too late.</p><p>    Haru: Are you having more success on your end?</p><p>    Akira: We're talking to Shido right now.</p><p>    Haru: Oh! Good luck.</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Alright. Phones away, and back to the discussion at hand.</p><p>
  
</p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl8TteaY0ig"> Investigation ~ Opening 2013 </a>---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    "Akechi's place has already been searched," Ryuji sighs, snapping his finger in frustration.</p><p>    "It's likely Mr. Wright already found what he was looking for," Yusuke infers.</p><p>    "What exactly was on the hard drive, anyway?" I question, "You said Wakaba Isshiki's research, but can you be more specific?"</p><p>    "It's precisely that. It's all of the research of hers that I was able to find," Shido reaffirms, "I only sent Mr. Wright and his assistant after it because it could help him to learn about the subject quickly. He'd never heard of Cognitive Psience before, after all. For someone like you or me, it wouldn't tell us much more than we're already aware of."</p><p>    "Is that so?" Yusuke probes.</p><p>    "Everything I obtained was the same information that we, now, already know about the Metaverse. The rest of it was genuine psychology with the intent of therapeutic and scientific use of Cognitive Psience. Nothing about any other potential malicious uses."</p><p>    "Really makes you wonder if Cognitive Psience is even related at all to the weird shit going on right now..." Ryuji theorizes, his voice trailing off with disappointment.</p><p>    The man behind the glass looks as uncertain as we are. "That may even be true. It's wild speculation on our parts to think that foreign assassinations and shady political activity are related to what we've experienced in the past. But I've used supernatural methods before, and I've seen the dangers they present. If there's even a small chance someone has discovered a new way to abuse Cognitive Psience, then I will do everything in my power to aid Mr. Wright."</p><p>    He suddenly bows his head respectfully, something I'd never thought I'd see him do. "I beg you. Please, use your experience and skills to aid Mr. Wright, as well. There's no group on the planet more savvy about the Metaverse than the Phantom Thieves themselves. You all could be invaluable to getting to the bottom of what is going on."</p><p>    The three of us look at one another, and we all nod our heads in sequence.</p><p>    "I think we're all in agreement," I add, "So let's keep this moving quickly. If the research data won't be helping us, that means we should focus on the second thing you mentioned. Some kind of pearl, was it?"</p><p>    "I too found the mention of that peculiar," Yusuke furthers, "What exactly drew your attention to such a specific thing?"</p><p>    Shido holds his head to the sky, and I can tell he's thinking back on fond memories. "Wakaba-san may have been a free spirit, but she was laser guided. Nothing she did was without purpose, when it came to her work. She wasn't the type to pay attention to fashion or accessorize... even the necklace she wore, she only wore because it was a gift from a dear friend of hers. Everything else about her was strictly business. So it really struck me as strange that she would constantly carry around such an expensive object. Still, even I myself recognized that it was nothing more than a hunch on my part. A gut feeling that perhaps there was more to that pearl than meets the eye."</p><p>    "And you said you donated it to the Sniffsonian?" I repeat to clarify?</p><p>    "That's right. An old acquaintance of mine is the curator at the museum. He's always been dependable, and I paid him a good sum as our terms. It would fit right in under his care with his other rare valuables. It's physically a precious gem, after all. He would care for it for the day I'd ever need it again."</p><p>    "So... you want us to, what, go swing by the museum and pick it up?" Ryuji infers.</p><p>    Yet again Shido nods. "Ideally you'll be able to collaborate up with Phoenix Wright before then. But, if that isn't possible, then I'll tell you the same thing I told him. Meet with the curator, and tell him Masayoshi Shido sent you."</p><p>    </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Just by the change in atmosphere, I can tell this conversation is drawing to a close. This was entirely civil, and surprisingly helpful. </p><p>    I stand up from my seat and bow. "Thank you for your help, Shido-san," I tell him. I never expected or even intended to bow in the direction of the man who once ruined my life, but it's a bizarre world we live in, and in my gut I feel like giving him a little respect now that he has earned it.</p><p>    Ryuji and Yusuke are extremely surprised by this act, and awkwardly stand to join me in bowing. The whole sight must be pretty humorous, because Shido is chuckling. "It's no problem at all," he replies. "Good luck to all of you."</p><p>    I'm grateful of what we were able to accomplish as the Phantom Thieves. If we were able to change the heart of someone as wicked as Shido into the kind man before us, then I truly believe we did make the world better, if only a little.</p><p>    The three of us leave the room, and immediately we take out our phones to strategize with the others.</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Akira: Back.</p><p>    Ann: Go ahead and fill us in. What did you learn?</p><p>    Akira: Shido sent Mr. Wright out with his blessings essentially.</p><p>    Akira: Mr. Wright has the same suspicions we do.</p><p>    Yusuke: Shido mentioned suspicions about the events in Koridai as well.</p><p>    Ryuji: Here I thought we were on to something really super secret here, and it turns out that lawyer is actually head of us!</p><p>    Futaba: He must be more astute than I thought.</p><p>    Akira: Have you been able to locate his phone yet?</p><p>    Futaba: Negatory.</p><p>    Akira: Seriously?</p><p>    Futaba: It's off the grid completely. He may have turned it off.</p><p>    Haru: So there's no way to track him...?</p><p>    Yusuke: What about his assistant? I recall there was a young woman with him. Can you find her phone number?</p><p>    Futaba: I had actually considered that. I found her phone number, and she does seem to be at a hotel. I don't think she or Mr. Wright are in any danger, at least.</p><p>    Ryuji: So, let's call him then!</p><p>    Makoto: It's a little late. Perhaps we can do that in the morning.</p><p>
  
</p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4CEqQO7Has"> Investigation ~ Middle 2004 </a>---</p><p>
  
</p><p>    Yusuke: Well, either way.</p><p>    Yusuke: We do know of the location he will likely be visiting.</p><p>    Ryuji: Shido said some stuff about a weird pearl at the Sniffsonian Museum.</p><p>    Makoto: A pearl?</p><p>    Futaba: ... Was it something he took from my mom?</p><p>    Akira: Yes.</p><p>    Futaba: When I was younger, my mom showed me a weird pearl once.</p><p>    Futaba: She said it was very important.</p><p>    Futaba: She never mentioned it again though so I had forgotten about it completely until now.</p><p>    Haru: We are talking about a pearl, as in, the small gem, correct?</p><p>    Futaba: Yes. Well, I think so. It looked so different than anything I had ever seen before.</p><p>    Futaba: It shined with light and it almost looked like it wasn't real.</p><p>    Haru: How odd!</p><p>    Makoto: So she claimed it was important. Do you think it had something to do with her research?</p><p>    Akira: For now, that's what we're assuming. </p><p>    Akira: Shido claimed that we've all learned everything there is to know about the extent of Wakaba's research, at least the parts he got his hands on.</p><p>    Akira: He may not have come to gain or even understand all of the research in full, though.</p><p>    Akira: If we are going on the assumption that the Metaverse, or some kind of Cognitive Psience is being used for evil, then there has to be more to the Metaverse that we don't know yet.</p><p>    Akira: And this pearl Shido mentioned is our only lead.</p><p>    Ryuji: So we basically know where to go, we just need to hope we run into the lawyer whenever he goes there too.</p><p>    Ann: As far as Mr. Wright goes... what do we do about him, exactly?</p><p>    Ann: We barely know him. Can we trust him enough to work with him?</p><p>    Haru: Morgana wants to say that it isn't a matter of trust, and that it's our responsibility to protect him and anyone else who could possibly get involved.</p><p>    Yusuke: Shido was partial to the idea of working together with Mr. Wright to solve these mysterious circumstances.</p><p>    Futaba: Morgana's also saying that he's just a normal civilian, and that he's endangering his and his assistant's lives by investigating something so dangerous.</p><p>    Haru: I think Morgana may be right. </p><p>    Ann: So, our goal is to find him, tell him he's in danger, and to leave the rest to us?</p><p>    Akira: That may be for the best.</p><p>    Ryuji: It's getting kinda late. I think maybe we should just head back to our homes for the night and meet tomorrow.</p><p>    Makoto: Not a bad idea. Do we want to meet up right at the museum, or go meet at Leblanc first?</p><p>    Futaba: Leblanc. I've already cooked up a few different strategies on how to handle this situation, and I'd like to do some planning before we go.</p><p>    Ann: Planning? For what?</p><p>    Yusuke: I would imagine our navigator is anticipating the worst.</p><p>    Futaba: Right you are, Inari.</p><p>    Futaba: We're likely going to be dealing with one of Shido's former associates, if it was someone he formerly trusted to hold on to the pearl for him.</p><p>    Haru: So it's likely he won't simply hand it over if we ask for it, is that so?</p><p>    Makoto: It'll be beneficial for us to expect the worst.</p><p>    Ryuji: Hey, if push comes to shove, it's not like we haven't broken into a Museum before, right? We can just steal it!</p><p>    Futaba: ...</p><p>    Ann: ...</p><p>    Haru: Morgana wants to tell Ryuji that he's dumbfounded.</p><p>    Ryuji: What gives, guys?? Is it something I said??</p><p>    Makoto: Ryuji, this is real life now. We don't have our Persona anymore. It's not the same as it used to be when we were Phantom Thieves.</p><p>    Makoto: All breaking into the Sniffsonian will do is get us arrested immediately.</p><p>    Akira: I'm game.</p><p>    Futaba: !!!</p><p>    Ann: !!!</p><p>    Haru: Morgana wants to tell Akira that he's still dumbfounded.</p><p>    Makoto: ... Are you sure about that, Akira?</p><p>    Akira: We've never let danger scare us away before.</p><p>    Ann: I know you're our leader and all, but you jumped at this way too quickly...</p><p>    Ann: Actually, maybe that confidence to jump in headfirst is what made you our leader in the first place, haha.</p><p>    Futaba: I'm with Akira on this one! You forget that you have the world's greatest hacker on your side. A dinky little alarm system and security cameras won't stop us.</p><p>    Haru: This is all moving so fast... but I thoroughly agree with Ryuji and Akira.</p><p>    Haru: We will need this kind of resolve if we are genuine about our opposition to the evil things happening right now. </p><p>    Ryuji: And if that pearl is our only lead, I think we should be ready to take some extreme measures, if we need to.</p><p>    Yusuke: The prospect of another heist after so long... I must admit, it's rather exciting!</p><p>    Akira: This is all hypothetical. If everything goes well, we may be able to just ask for the pearl and get it. But it can't hurt to have backup plans.</p><p>    Ann: Morgana is telling us that we're getting way ahead of ourselves, and that we should slow down.</p><p>    Makoto: We certainly need to gather our bearings before doing anything rash.</p><p>    Futaba: Yeah, let's put this convo to rest for the night. We can talk things out and work on more in more detail tomorrow.</p><p>    Haru: See you tomorrow, then!</p><p>
  
</p><p>    "Well, I suppose this is where we part ways, for now," Yusuke concludes, "I would suggest we be well rested for tomorrow."</p><p>    I can practically hear Morgana in my head telling me to go to sleep.</p><p>    Ryuji cackles a bit. "Ohhhh man, things are gettin' real interesting!" he speaks, his vocal inflection lead by excited anticipation. "Be sure and shoot us all a text when you're ready to meet tomorrow!" he insists.</p><p>    We all separate on our ways home. I have to say, this all feels a little surreal. The dread of this unknown threat of evil is heavy, yet the intoxicating exhilaration of nostalgia brings me right back to what it felt like when our group was at it's peak. The Phantom Thieves were an unstoppable force, ready to look opposition in the eye with a taunting smirk. </p><p>    Do we still have it in us to be just that, again?</p><p>
  
</p><p>    <em> To be continued... </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>---(Music End)---</p><p>
  
</p><p> ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjLWGyx4zoA"> Victory </a>---</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>     Would you like to save your game?  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>  <em>   Yes                            No </em> <em><br/></em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 2-3: Something Smells at the Sniffsonian</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It isn't too long before Phoenix and Maya are contacted by the Phantom Thieves. With the understanding that information on their respective investigations will be shared mutually in the future, the two cautiously agree to allowing Alibaba to tag along with them by listening in through Maya's phone. With an ambiguous partnership in motion, the two travelers make way to the Sniffsonia Museum, home of one of the very few leads that Shido was able to provide to them. Not all is as it seems at this museum, however, and they may soon find themselves tangled into a different mystery entirely...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>    <em> April 11th, 10:45 am </em></p><p>
  <em>     Gatewater International </em>
</p><p> </p><p>    I let out what is quite possibly the biggest yawn of my life. I haven't slept in this late for years. But I suppose the recent events have taken a toll on me, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if my internal clock is still out of whack after jumping across so many time zones. </p><p>    Maya's already up and watching TV it seems. "Finally awake, Nick? You've gotta check this out!" she calls to me enthusiastically, pointing at the screen. It's none other than the Steel Samurai, though it seems to be the Japanese dub.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPnh6XgRaxY"> Steel Samurai </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    I can understand what they are saying, but they are talking so fast and dramatically that it's hard to keep up. I would prefer it if there were English subtitles.</p><p>    Lucky for me, Maya is already standing on the bed while mimicking the poses of the characters and perfectly reciting the original English lines from the show. <em> "We meet again, Steel Samurai! But you are too late! In fifteen minutes, when the moon reaches its highest point, my plan will be complete!" </em> she grunts, keeping her voice deep and sinister, before changing her voice to one heroic and fitting of the hero of the show. <em> "That's where you are wrong, Evil Magistrate! For the justice of my blade is never too late! Fifteen minutes is more than enough time to defeat your evil once and for all!" </em></p><p>Haha. I can't believe Maya is such a dedicated fan that she has the script to this episode more or less memorized. Right as the two rivals clash, the episode ends on a cliff hanger, and the credits begin rolling.</p><p>    </p><p> ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rVUvtw_iNc"> Investigation ~ Opening 2001 </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "Woo! Nothing like a good episode of Steel Samurai to get your blood pumping!" Maya cheers. </p><p>    "I can't believe how awake you are. How late did we stay up scanning through that research?" I ask groggily. </p><p>    She looks away while considering the question. "Hmm. Dunno! I went to bed before you did, after all."</p><p>    That explains it. "Well, regardless," I say with another yawn, "I've got a pretty good grasp on this whole Cognitive Psience subject now."</p><p>    She nods along with me. "If you look past the psycho-babble details, it's really not so complicated. Basically, there is--or was, rather--a way to use psychology to change someone's personality... or, to kill, as we learned from Shido..."</p><p>    I scratch my chin. "That lets us know that our theories are entirely possible, like we were worried."</p><p>    "But at the same time, it doesn't give us any direction or leads to continue looking into those theories..." Maya laments.</p><p>    "We should get right to it, then," I conclude, "Let's go to the Sniffsonian Museum."</p><p>    She scratches her head just a tad. "Huh. That name sounds familiar, for some reason..."</p><p>    "From what I've read, it's one of the biggest museums around these parts. And it's exactly where Shido told us to go," I remind her. "Could you pull up your GPS on your phone to find out where it is?"</p><p>    "Oh, right. I forgot that your phone broke..."</p><p>    I'm embarrassed, but I try to smile and laugh it off. "Well, I mean, I didn't know that drink was carbonated and was going to explode when I opened it... haha..."</p><p>    "Yeesh. We really need to stop by a phone store to get you a temporary model or something," she insists.</p><p>    "We'll reach that bridge when we come to it," I agree, "For now, let's-"</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AUjIE8t6v4"> Ringtone ~ Steel Samurai Theme </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "Oh, looks like I'm getting a call," Maya announces in response to the ringing phone in her pocket. She pulls it out and looks at the screen before answering. "Caller unknown... hmm. This is just like the call I got earlier this morning."</p><p>    "You got a call earlier? Did you answer it?" </p><p>    "No. It was like eight thirty and I was still half asleep, and I didn't trust an unknown caller ID."</p><p>    "Maybe you should answer it this time. If they are calling you a second time it might be important."</p><p>    *Click*</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    "Hello, this is Maya Fey speaking..." she answers. The room is quiet for a moment as she listens to whatever the other person is.</p><p>    She takes her phone away from her ear and taps the screen, and suddenly I can hear the voice of whoever is calling her. "Have you put me on speaker now? Can you both hear me?" a robotic-sounding voice speaks. It doesn't sound entirely human. </p><p>    "Yes, we can. But who are you?" Maya asks uneasily.</p><p>    "Mr. Wright would know me as Alibaba," the voice announces decisively.</p><p>    Something about this scenario seems familiar. The falsified voice being transmitted over a low quality speaker reminds me a lot of my encounter with Shelly de Killer. "I'm guessing you are using a voice changer?" I say.</p><p>    The monotone inflection and lack of any discernible characteristics such as gender or age have already answered my question, but Alibaba confirms it directly. "Your guess would be correct."</p><p>    "So, who exactly are you, and why do you need to hide your identity from us?" Maya asks.</p><p>    "I am still treating this matter with slight caution. Forgive me for my rudeness."</p><p>    "Well, I can forgive you if you answer a few questions," I propose.</p><p>    There is a moment of hesitation on the other end before Alibaba resumes. "I can attempt to do so, if that will earn your trust."</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdcBGCdyVoY"> Questioning ~ Moderato 2007 </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    I'm going to use this opportunity to ask a big question on both of our minds. "Alibaba, we were wondering... are you a member of the 'Phantom Thieves of Hearts?'"</p><p>    "That would be correct as well. Though, you realize, that group name hasn't meant anything for quite a long time, yes?"</p><p>    The conversation has barely started, and I'm already analyzing as much as possible. "And why would that be? Is the group disbanded?"</p><p>    "In a matter of speaking."</p><p>    So, time to draw some connections. I'm going to try and cover as much ground as possible. I don't know how long Alibaba is going to be willing to continue cooperating with answers. "Is that because the Metaverse no longer exists...?" I infer, recalling what Shido-san mentioned about the subject, "Can the Phantom Thieves no longer act without the Metaverse?"</p><p>    Another momentary pause. "I see you have been doing your research. At this point I'm going to assume Masayoshi Shido has told you everything he knows."</p><p>    Maya looks surprised, but I'm not too shocked myself. A famous hacker anonymously contacting first my phone, and now Maya's? I've already assumed I'm being kept track of by Alibaba, or even being watched. It's not hard to believe that Alibaba would already know about our meeting with Shido-san.</p><p>    Maya shifts a bit in discomfort. "How did you get a hold of my phone number, anyway?"</p><p>    "It wasn't hard to trace your name back to phone directories in America to find your number. I will admit that I would have contacted Mr. Wright directly, but that seemed to be impossible. Why is that?"</p><p>    "Nick spilled soda on his phone and it broke."</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music Pause)---</p><p> </p><p>    "..."</p><p>    "..."</p><p>    "..."</p><p>    "... It happens..." I grumble.</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music Resume)---</p><p> </p><p>    "W-well, that aside..." Alibaba continues with a cough.</p><p>    "Er, getting back to the topic at hand..." I steer the conversation, "You can confirm directly that you were part of a group that somehow used supernatural means to change the personalities of others... is that correct?"</p><p>    "Yes."</p><p>    "I just had one more question," I pressure."Will you answer me this: if the Metaverse doesn't exist anymore, is it possible that Cognitive Psience could still be used via some <em> other </em> means to commit crimes or murders?"</p><p>    "Hmm... the answer to that question is beyond what I know myself. We have the same suspicions about the abuse of Cognitive Psience. Unfortunately, we don't know any more at this moment in time."</p><p>    Now that's interesting. Maya and I have been wildly jumping to conclusion after conclusion at the mere possibility of supernatural incidents taking place, and yet this person seems to already be on the same page. "What kinds of reasons do you have backing your suspicions?" I ask.</p><p>    "I imagine the same ones you and your partner have. My group and I have done extensive research, and have noticed trends with bizarre murders and incidents over the last few weeks."</p><p>    Few weeks, eh? I had only drawn connections between a small handful of events over the last few days. The possibility of foul play may run deeper than I had thought.</p><p>    "Is this the reason you contacted us?" Maya reasons.</p><p>    "Yes. You are planning to go to the Sniffsonian Museum next, yes?"</p><p>    Looks like I was right to assume that Alibaba has been keeping his eye on me, if he already knows my next move. "Yes, that's right," I confirm.</p><p>    "Good. We of the Phantom Thieves wish to aid you in your investigation."</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    *!*</p><p>    "Whoa..." Maya gasps.</p><p>    "While you are at the museum, I plan to keep contact with you. If you don't mind, it would be preferable to perform a phone call with you, as well, so that I may listen to whatever it is you are hearing."</p><p>    Maya puts her phone down and leans close to me in order to whisper. "This is moving pretty fast. Are we really going to trust a complete stranger just like that?"</p><p>    "I don't know," I answer back, keeping my voice soft as well, "They <em> are </em> a hacker, and a former thief..."</p><p>    "I understand if you are skeptical," Alibaba speaks aloud, "But I can assure you our intentions are just, and align with your own."</p><p>    "I don't suppose you'd be able to meet with us in person at any point...?" I infer.</p><p>    "... That may complicate things."</p><p>    I grasp my magatama within my hand. If I could speak with this Alibaba in the flesh, it would be simple to discover if they are hiding something from us. This magatama has been charged with spiritual energy, which it allows me to see mystical locks around a person whenever they are keeping a secret. With enough persuasion and skill, these 'Psyche-Locks' can be broken, which I've done plenty of times in the past to reveal carefully guarded information. This magatama is the most dependable lie detector test I have, and if a person doesn't have any locks at all, then I can assume they are being completely honest with me.</p><p>    Maya already knows why I've asked the question, as she was the one who gave me the magatama in the first place, and she has long since known about its abilities. "What harm could it be seeing who you really are?" she pressures.</p><p>    "When the time is right, we may be able to reveal ourselves to you. But at this moment in time, that could be pose significant risk to both of us."</p><p>    "Why is that?" Maya continues asking.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVehoGdrAms"> Who's There? </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "The identities of most of the members of the Phantom Thieves are not known by the public or by authorities. However, with the level of notoriety we have had with in the past, we have no way of knowing if any antagonistic force secretly knows who we are. All of the world was aware about the Phantom Thieves at the height of our popularity, so it's possible that tabs have been kept on us by any number of Masayoshi Shido's former cohorts, or anyone else invested in watching the activities of our group."</p><p>    They're definitely being incredibly cautious about all of this. "I'm guessing that means... if you start investigating yourself, it might raise suspicions?" </p><p>    "That is exactly right. We have no idea who our enemies are, nor do we know if we are being watched. You two, on the other hand, are travelers from a different country entirely. No one would have any reason at all to suspect that two vacationing foreigners are investigating a possible conspiracy. 'Tagging along' via Miss Maya's phone is actually the safest way for my group to aid you as you try to get to the bottom of this."</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    The two of us, as well as our mysterious conversation partner, are all silent for a time. It's a lot to think about. He is asking for us to trust him implicitly, after all.</p><p>    I instinctively give the phone a shifty look. "Maya, are you ok with this person tracking your phone audio like this?"</p><p>    An extended pause before Maya finally replies. "Nick, can we talk about this in private for a moment?"</p><p>    She puts her phone down and the two of us walk into the hotel room's bathroom, and close the door behind us so that Alibaba won't hear what we discuss.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_pKQCJuK_c"> Confrontation ~ Moderato 2009 </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "What do you make of all this?" she asks me.</p><p>    "It's hard to say, if I'm honest. I have mixed feelings on this Alibaba person," I inform her. "But, it sure seemed like he was looking out for me during the trial the other day. If I take what he is saying at face value, then he seems trustworthy... but there's also what you told me about his affiliations, with these Phantom Thieves."</p><p>    "Well, the Phantom Thieves weren't necessarily <em> bad </em> or anything," Maya reiterates, "They only targeted corrupt individuals, or so the the media says. I don't know if they ever committed any traditional thievery, or any crimes at all for that matter. Though I think I may have read a bit about breaking and entering charges somewhere along the line."</p><p>    I hold my chin. "I'm also taking our own circumstances into consideration. We're on the other side of the planet right now without many leads. It could benefit us to gain some savvy allies, especially ones from Japan who are already involved with the events we've been researching."</p><p>    "That's a good point," Maya nods, "I don't see too much of a risk in letting them cooperate with us for a bit. We can rethink things later if Alibaba acts sketchy or anything."</p><p>    Maya and I have reached an agreement here. It looks like we'll be working together with a member of the Phantom Thieves as we dive deeper into these mysterious murders.</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    We exit the bathroom and Maya picks her phone back up.</p><p>    "Is everything alright?" Alibaba asks with traces of concern in his voice.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUEvGBUER-w"> Investigation ~ Opening 2004 </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    Maya answers before I do. "Before anything else, I have to insist that you stop tracking my phone, or my GPS, or whatever else once this Sniffsonian visit is over. It's kind of creepy being followed everywhere!"</p><p>    "... We can agree to this. But, should we discover anything pertinent, we may need to remain in contact."</p><p>    "Also, what do we stand to gain with your help? How can you benefit us in our investigations?" I question.</p><p>    Ailbaba doesn't answer for a few seconds, perhaps contemplating the question. "Considering the nature of our respective searches deal with the same conspiracy, information would be the most appropriate commodity to trade. We've already discerned the identities of a potentially relevant individual or two, and we will wholly collaborate our findings with yours as we continue to try and learn more about what's going on. We can discuss more details at length at your convenience later, but I believe you two have a museum to go to first."</p><p>    We've made up our minds... for the time being. "Alright, Alibaba. I think we're prepared to work with you. But I have a condition of my own."</p><p>    "What would that be, Mr. Wright?"</p><p>    "I don't know anything about your group or their methods of operation, but I have to insist that no laws be broken."</p><p>    "I think they are breaking a law or two by getting into our phones without our consent in the first place, Nick," Maya points out.</p><p>    Good, uh... good point. "You know what I mean. Phantom Thieves or not, there won't be any thievery, or law breaking."</p><p>    "Aw, man!" a new voice shouts. It sounds robotic as well, but I can tell by the change of tone and inflection that it is another person who just shouted. I'm not surprised other members of this Phantom Thieves group have been listening.</p><p>    "Quiet, Skull!" I hear another, different voice whisper. I then hear several "shhhh!" noises, as if there are others around trying to quiet down whoever just spoke. I... think I hear what sounds like angry 'meow'-ing from a cat as well...?</p><p>    ???</p><p>    "My, er, apologies," I hear Alibaba interject into the chaos, and suddenly their end of the phone quiets down. "We can agree to this as well. We have no desire whatsoever to commit any crimes."</p><p>    I can't say that I'm at ease with any of this, personally. I can tell Maya is on edge as well. I suppose we should have recognized that signing on to work with Alibaba would likely mean working with other Phantom Thieves. And their cat, apparently.</p><p>    I scratch my head both physically and metaphorically, due to the sheer absurdity of all of this. "Well, Maya... it's about time for us to get a move on."</p><p>    She's already taken her stance of determination, fists raised and with a confident scowl on her face. "Right! Time for us to go visit the Sniffsonian!"</p><p>    "Your cooperation is much appreciated, Miss Maya and Mr. Wright. I'll be contacting you once more once I see that you've reached your destination. It would be to your benefits to keep an earbud in one ear in case I do need to communicate with you."</p><p>    *click*</p><p>    Well, it's time to roll out to the station to see when the next train bound for the museum will be coming.</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    <em> April 11th, 1:15 pm </em></p><p>
  <em>     Sniffsonian Museum Entrance </em>
</p><p> </p><p>"Wooow... this place is already impressive!" Maya gawks, taking in the sights of the very exterior of the building in front of us.</p><p>    "This is the Sniffsonian, alright," I read off of a sign outside of the building, which indeed has 'SNIFFSONIAN MUSEUM" spelled out with fancy gold letters of roman characters. In architecture and atmosphere it feels very western.</p><p>    "C'mon, let's go inside!" Maya leads, grabbing my sleeve and dragging me along with her.</p><p>    As we get close to the building, her phone begins ringing.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AUjIE8t6v4"> Ringtone ~ Steel Samurai Theme </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "Well, we know who that is..." Maya says as she answers the incoming call.</p><p>    *Click*</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    She puts one of her earbuds in her ear to listen discretely. "Yep. It's Alibaba," Maya clarifies, just like I expected. "I'll keep the call going, and if he wants to say anything to you, I'll tell you."</p><p>    Not entirely convenient if I can't hear Alibaba directly myself, but I'll have to make do.</p><p>    As we go, something catches my eye. There's a set of those old coin-operated newspaper boxes, and all of them have the same article on their front pages, an article with Sniffsonian in the title of it. On a whim, I drop a coin in one of them and take a copy. It may be relevant, so why not?</p><p>    Maya turns around and looks at what I'm doing. "Huh... something caught your interest, Nick?"</p><p>    Now that I'm holding the newspaper in my hand, I can see the full text of the article. "The Curious Case of Missing Sniffsonian Exhibits," I read aloud.</p><p>    "Oh, hey, that's an article about this place! Is that today's paper?" she questions.</p><p>    "Yes, it looks like it. This article is all about a lost painting that seemingly disappeared without a trace last week. It also says that there are rumors about other art pieces which have been taken off display, and how they may be lost as well."</p><p>    "That's really strange," Maya remarks with her eyebrow raised, "You'd think the authorities would be involved with priceless art disappearing from a famous museum..."</p><p>    "It says here that the curator has been trying to resolve the issue and has the police involved," I further, "but progress hasn't been made on finding any leads or anything. The Sniffsonian staff as a whole have been mostly quiet on the issue."</p><p>    "Do they... just not care about their exhibits going missing...?" Maya questions with skepticism.</p><p>    I read a little further into the article for more details. "It says here that the various organizations and patrons who have donated to the museum are really upset about it. Many of the pieces missing were privately owned and were only able to be displayed because of negotiations and deals with the museum. In the meantime, the museum has been offering monetary compensation to the donors of the missing pieces."</p><p>    "What a weird thing to read about a museum," Maya shrugs, "How in the world do pieces just go missing, anyway?"</p><p>    For some reason, I have an uneasy feeling in my gut. I'll definitely be taking this <b>Sniffsonian Article</b> with me in my evidence. </p><p>    Er, well, in my pocket at least. I guess it's not really evidence if I'm not preparing for a trial, huh.</p><p>    "Alibaba is asking if you think that newspaper is important," Maya narrates.</p><p>    I shrug. "You never really know. It's related to this museum, so I figured it might be relevant.</p><p>    "Well, anyway, let's get back to business. The line is going to get longer if we don't get in soon," Maya pushes.</p><p> </p><p>    <em> April 11th, 1:25 pm </em></p><p>
  <em>     Sniffsonian Museum Atrium </em>
</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnKgd7Mw9S8"> What's Going On? </a>---</p><p>    </p><p>    I would normally be interested in viewing the various exhibits at a famous museum, but we're here for strictly business at the moment. We were handed a brochure to act as our guide, but it doesn't appear to have the information we need on it. Maya turns the pamphlet at various angles while looking at the map it includes. "Yeah, the office isn't listed here. Good thing we asked the tour guide earlier. We know that our destination is on the third floor, near the center of the building. That's where we'll find the curator's office."</p><p>    The museum seems fairly lively today. There are multitudes of visitors observing, appreciating, and taking photos of the various displays and exhibits as we walk around. Eventually, we find ourselves in what must be the main attraction of the museum: an extremely large and spacious, circular atrium. The room is vast, and with the roof being entirely made of glass, everything is lit brightly by natural lighting. </p><p>    From what I can see the most popular and interesting exhibits are displayed proudly from the ground floor. The majority of the room is simply open air, with a few exhibits hanging from the ceiling such as airplanes and various modern art pieces. The huge openness of the atrium gives it plenty of breathing room, and I can practically smell the fresh air. Maybe that's where the museum got its name from?</p><p>    All around the room there are doors and openings leading outward from this room into other parts of the museum. "One of those doors on the third floor leads to the curator's office," Maya explains to me.</p><p>    The room is several stories tall, and I can see that the outer edges of the room have stairs for ascending to upper levels. The upper levels are fairly narrow walkways which curve around the perimeter of the room, with smaller and more modest exhibits on display atop these balconies. But from what I can gather, it seems the room has been designed in a way that allows anyone standing on any level to have full view of the entirety of the ground floor and all of the exhibits it houses. I don't think I've ever seen a room quite like this one before. </p><p>    We've already reached the second floor now, but I can hear someone calling to us. "Excuse me, excuse me, sir!" a voice speaks from behind me. The voice is not familiar, but I feel familiarity because whoever just spoke didn't speak in Japanese.</p><p>    I turn to see a man in a suit with a beard approaching us with a fast paced walk, extending his arm out towards us to signal that we are the ones he is calling. "Do you speak English?" he asks.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy81E35S5U4"> Strange People (Gyakuten Kenji 2) </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "Yes, we do," I reply cordially.</p><p>    A smile appears on his face and he breaths in relief. "You two must be Americans. Thank goodness. I lost my phrases guidebook, and my Japanese is pretty terrible, unfortunately... and I could use some assistance."</p><p>    "How can we help, sir?" Maya asks him.</p><p>    "I'm just looking for someone, and was wondering if anyone here has seen him here. I've been searching the whole museum and can't seem to find him."</p><p>    Perhaps we can be of aid. I've seen plenty of people since I've entered the museum, after all. "Who might that be?"</p><p>    "I'm looking for someone named 'Hebi Hibiki,' who is supposed to work here," the man explains, "I'm not entirely sure what he looks like, as I've never met him. But supposedly his hair has red and black highlights."</p><p>    Even without a vivid description, the hair color alone is enough to clue us in on who to look for. "Sounds like hair like that would be impossible to miss if you saw it," I comment.</p><p>    "Yeah, seriously," the man says, disheartened, "That's why I'm so surprised I haven't seen him anywhere."</p><p>    I can tell Maya is digging through her memories as she stares off to the side in thought. "Hmm. Nope. I haven't seen anyone like that today. Have you, Nick?"</p><p>    I shake my head. "Unfortunately not. Sorry, sir."</p><p>    The man snaps his finger diagonally downward in frustration. "Damn. I've got a really important bone to pick with him."</p><p>    "Hmm. A bone to pick...?" Maya repeats, analyzing his words.</p><p>    "Is there any way we can help you look for him?" I ask.</p><p>    The man contemplates the offer. "Well, if you do happen to meet him, tell him that he's about to make a very big mistake, and that 'a friend of the Director' would very much like to talk some sense into him."</p><p>    Our conversational partner goes on his way without another word.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUEvGBUER-w"> Investigation ~ Opening 2004 </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "How... peculiar," I mumble.</p><p>    "Alibaba says you are actually looking for the same person as him," Maya relays to me. I had almost forgotten he is in a phone call with us, listening to what's happening around us. "Hebi Hibiki is the name of the museum's curator, according to what Masayoshi Shido informed him."</p><p>    Maya turns around and loudly exclaims, "Hey, sir, we're actually looking for him too!" in the direction the man from before left. Unfortunately, he merged into the crowd when he was leaving, and I can't really be sure which way he went.</p><p>    "'That entire conversation felt rather peculiar,' Alibaba says," Maya informs me, "He's wondering what business that man had with the curator."</p><p>    That's a rather good point. "Hmm... you are right, something suspicious could be going on here. That man didn't seem like someone random, he was dressed sharply, and he carried an air of someone important."</p><p>    Maya nods. "If we see him again, we'll have to ask him for more details. My gut's telling me this won't be the last we'll see of him."</p><p>    In my notes, I add a profile for <b>Mysterious Man</b>. I keep details on his appearance, his behavior, and leave a note about that strange comment about a director.</p><p>    "Either way," I speak, "We still need to keep looking."</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    <em> April 11th, 1:40 pm </em></p><p>
  <em>     Sniffsonian Museum Atrium Third Floor </em>
</p><p> </p><p>    By now we've reached the third floor, and it looks like the office we are searching for is a short walk across the curved balcony, and in no time we're knocking on the door.</p><p>    We give it a few seconds. No response. We knock again, and we're returned silence for another few seconds.</p><p>    There's a security guard approaching us. "May I help you folks?" he asks.</p><p>    "You may be able to, actually," I answer politely, "We're looking for the museum curator. We wish to speak with him."</p><p>    "Hibiki-san?" the guard speaks, immediately knowing who we are talking about. "I believe he's attending to various matters around the museum."</p><p>    That seems normal. I imagine he'll return to his office at some point. "Do you know when he will be back?"</p><p>    The guard shrugs a bit. "Later in the day, surely. But usually when he goes into his office, he attends to urgent paperwork. If he's coming back here, he surely won't want to be bothered."</p><p>    "Where else would he likely be?" Maya asks, "Maybe we can go find him on our own before he gets wrapped into his work."</p><p>    "Most likely in one of the off-limits areas, I'm sorry," the guard apologizes, "But I don't believe he has taken his lunch break yet, at least, not from what I've seen. I bet if you wait around the food court area, he'll run into you eventually."</p><p>    "Would you mind showing us where the food court is?" I request.</p><p>    "Absolutely, allow me to take you there now," the guard agrees.</p><p>    I bow in respect. "Thank you for the help."</p><p>    With the security guard leaving the way, Maya and I move towards the food court.</p><p> </p><p>    <em> April 11th, 1:50 pm </em></p><p>
  <em>     Sniffsonian Museum Food Court </em>
</p><p> </p><p>We've played the waiting game for a while now. Hopefully it won't be too much longer until the curator arrives. The security guard stayed to eat, as I suppose he had decided to take his lunch break as well.</p><p>    As he gets up after finishing his meal, I can't help but notice the guard seems to be jittery, and looks uneasy. "Is everything alright, sir...?" I ask with concern.</p><p>    As he responds to me, I can hear clear hesitation in his voice. "Er, yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask...?"</p><p>    I try and sort the thoughts in my head. So far, Maya and I have run into at least two out-of-the-ordinary things about this museum. First, apparently there are missing exhibits. Secondly, there is a mysterious man looking for the curator just like we are. This has me thinking... well, worrying, rather. I know that we came here for the purpose of meeting the curator, and hopefully having him give us the pearl that Shido told us about. My concern, however, is that all may not be as it seems on the surface here at the Sniffsonian. I need to stay prepared for any kind of complication that could hinder Maya and me, and on guard for any kind of trouble we could run into. To that end, I can't help but feel very uneasy at all of the odd circumstances surrounding this place.</p><p>    "Pardon my rudeness," I apologize, before leaning in to whisper to the guard so that no one else can hear, "But is there something suspicious going on with this museum?"</p><p>    I tried to keep the question as open ended as possible. Depending on how this security guard interprets my question, I may get some insight into whatever abnormal is happening at this museum.</p><p>    He sweats a bit. "Oh, not at all! There's nothing suspicious going on here!" he replies, almost in an argumentative tone.</p><p>    My vision darkens, and the area around the guard goes black, so he is the only thing I see in front of me. I can feel the warmth of my magatama in my pocket, and suddenly I see silver chains erupt out of thin air, wrapping around the man tightly. On those chains, locks appear! I count one, two... three red Psyche-Locks...!</p><p>    Bingo! This security guard knows something, and he is keeping a secret. I have no clue what that secret could possibly be, so I'll just have to use what I do know and try to learn more about this museum. With any luck, he may even mention that strange pearl we are after.</p><p>    I take out my <b>Magatama</b> and grasp it within my hand.</p><p> </p><p>    </p><p> </p><p>    <em> -- Something Smells at the Sniffsonian -- </em></p><p> </p><p>    ---Music:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-3BS9GjrW0"> Psyche-Locks</a>---</p><p> </p><p>"Nope, no way, no how, there's nothing strange or abnormal at all here at the Sniffsonian!" the guard reiterates.</p><p>    I shake my head. "I don't think that's true. I think something very strange has just happened recently, in fact! And I have evidence to prove it!"</p><p>    I'm lucky to have kept that <b>Sniffsonian Article</b> with me, because now is the perfect time to present it.</p><p> </p><p>    </p><p> </p><p>    With a sound not unlike glass breaking, one of the psyche-locks shatters into pieces as the guard stares at me in wide-eyed surprise. That's one down, two to go. I'm a little bit closer to making this guard loosen up on keeping this secret so he can tell me what he knows.</p><p>    "That's, er... well, ok. You've got me there. There are some crazy rumors going on about our museum. But that's all they are, rumors!"</p><p>    Ok. So I need to plan out a route to attack from. What could this secret be? What is it I'm trying to prove? </p><p>    That would have to be something about the curator, if I narrow down my line of questioning to something I know to be suspicious of.</p><p>    "Mr. Guard, I'd like to ask you about the museum's curator, Hebi Hibiki. I think something suspicious may be going on with him."</p><p>    "Is that so? Why is that...?" the guard asks, and I can tell by his voice that he is speaking cautiously.</p><p>    "According to this article, the staff here haven't put much effort into these disappearances. Doesn't that strike you as strange...?"</p><p>    "Well, I suppose it is a bit... but, it's not like anything was stolen, or something. They've probably just been misplaced or something."</p><p>    Close, but no cigar. The locks aren't moving. I'll have to put a little more pressure on, and perhaps come up with some sort of evidence to back up my argument.</p><p>    "What is it you are exactly trying to ask about the curator, anyway? I don't get why you are asking me all of these questions."</p><p>    Hmm... he makes a good point, that I need to have a little more direction with my approach.</p><p>    "I'm asking you if the curator has gotten involved in anything sketchy. Perhaps, something that could be drawing the interest of other parties."</p><p>    "What do you mean by that? Who else would be interested in the curator?"</p><p>    Here we go! I present the profile I wrote notes for about the <b>Mysterious Man</b>.</p><p> </p><p>     </p><p> </p><p>    "Earlier today, we encountered a strange man in a suit who was looking for the curator. He seemed to have urgent business with Mr. Hibiki."</p><p>    *!*</p><p>    "Who... who could that be...?" the guard mumbles to himself uneasily, before wracking himself with worry.</p><p>    Another lock crumbles into shards and disappears into the darkness. One Psyche-Lock left.</p><p>    "Mr. Guard, is there anything at all you can tell me to explain why a mysterious man is on the lookout for your boss? Does it have anything to do with the missing exhibits...?"</p><p>    "I... can't really tell you. I don't even know who you are, or where you came from. How do I know you aren't after him yourself?"</p><p>    'After him' he said... what could that possibly mean? "Is the curator in some sort of danger?" I ask urgently.</p><p>    "He will be if I keep running my mouth! Just forget that we talked about any of this, ok?" </p><p>    Somehow I've made things even LESS clear.</p><p>    I... er... you know what? I think I've actually hit a wall here. I don't have anything else in my possession, physically or mentally, that I could use to press any of these issues further. He's barely answered any questions yet he has opened up a hundred more. I don't know if I can keep going with this line of questioning without more information or evidence...</p><p>    </p><p>    ---(Music Fade Out)---</p><p> </p><p>    The pitch black nothingness surrounding the guard fades out slowly, and I'm once again aware of my regular surroundings. I'm back in the food court. I may not be seeing it anymore, but that Psyche-Lock is definitely still there, keeping this guard's secrets chained up.</p><p>    I hear a new voice speak to us from off to the side of where we are standing. The voice sounds rather flamboyant. "Excuse me, what exactly is going on here?"</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fUHIi1sBUw"> Elegant ~ And Excellence </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    Maya, the guard, and myself are approached by a man dressed from the wrong century entirely. He looks like an actor who just finished performing a role in the play <em> Hamilton. </em>His red suit is stitched elegantly and parts at his waist into a tail coat, and has black pants and socks which raise to just under his knees. On top of it all, he's even wearing a powdered wig with a ponytail which slithers back and forth as he walks. The wig is primarily white colored hair, but it has two cylinders of hair on each side of his head, one colored red and the other black.</p><p>    "Excuse me, sir," Maya announces, "You seem to have dessert rolls stuck to your head."</p><p>    "I beg your pardon!" the man gasps, thankfully more surprised than offended, "My young lady, this is my peruke!"</p><p>    "Your what?" she asks, clueless.</p><p>    With his eyes closed, he shakes his head and clicks his tongue a few times in disappointment. "Mademoiselle, I will have to educate you on the finer points of high fashion. But, that may be saved for yet another day. For now, I return to my original inquisition: what is going on here, my dear sirs?"</p><p>    "Hibiki-san!" the security guard speaks, startled. He immediately kneels down on one knee and crosses his arm across his chest to formally bow. </p><p>    "What was your name again? It's on the tip of my tongue, mister... mister... Yuri, was it?"</p><p>    "Yurui Kuchibiru, Hibiki-san!" the guard introduces in a way that suggests it isn't the first time he's had to remind his boss his name.</p><p>    "Ah, yes!" Hibiki cheers lightly with a snap of his fingers. "Mister Kuchibiru! I do recall you having been stationed on the third floor to make your rounds... or am I mistaken...?"</p><p>    The guard speaks fast and frantically. "No, not at all, boss! I mean, sir! I'll be returning to my post right away!" he announces, and begins scurrying away.</p><p>    I... don't... entirely know how to process what it happening right now. But, out of respect, I bow in a similarly archaic fashion, leaning forward and crossing my arm to my opposite shoulder. When in Rome, right? Or, rather, when in Japan. But, more like, when in 18th century France...? Ah, forget it.</p><p>    "Mr. Hibiki, it is a pleasure to meet you," I greet cordially. Maya sees me and follows along.</p><p>    "The pleasure is all mine, miiiisteeer...."</p><p>    "Wright. Phoenix Wright," I introduce myself with a smile, "I'm visiting Japan temporarily, but I have business with which I would like to speak with you."</p><p>    "Ah! Of course. Say no more, Mister Wright," he replies pleasantly, grasping my hand between both of his and shaking it enthusiastically. "I am heading to my office on the third floor right at this moment. If you would please, would you follow me, and we can speak there?"</p><p>    "As you wish, Mr. Hibiki," I comply. He begins happily marching along with Maya and I in tail. </p><p>    "Nick," Maya whispers to me, "How in the heck do I explain to Alibaba what is going on?"</p><p>    "Let's worry about explaining later. Once <em> I </em>figure out what's going on..."</p><p> </p><p>    <em> To be continued... </em></p><p> </p><p>---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p> ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f10LFrjzM30"> Jingle ~ That's All For Today </a>---</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>     Would you like to save your game?  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>  <em>   Yes                            No </em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 2-4: The Circumstances Change</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Phoenix and Maya meet Hebi Hibiki, the curator of the Sniffsonian Museum and the one who possesses the so-called pearl. Hopefully, the curator will be willing to simply hand over the pearl that both the legal team and the Phantom Thieves are so interested in. However, things take a turn for the worst as the curator has quite an unpredictable response to the situation at hand. The situation is dire, and the circumstances indeed change. What will the Phantom Thieves do, with their backs against the wall?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>    <em> April 11th, 2:05 pm </em></p><p>
  <em>     Sniffsonian Museum Atrium Third Floor </em>
</p><p> </p><p>    As the museum's curator leads us up the staircases and balconies, I take some time to think to myself so I can analyze my situation.</p><p>    The sole reason I am here is still because Masayoshi Shido has informed me of the existence of that strange pearl. Even he doesn't know what it is or how it can help, but as it stands this pearl may be the only clue we have towards learning more about the Metaverse. I still feel in my gut that there is foul play at work with all of the extremely uncanny deaths in the news, and if someone is using Cognitive Psience to commit crimes, they have to be doing it in a way that not even those familiar with the subject know about. If we can analyze this pearl and learn anything at all, it may help us to gain new insight and ideas on how to continue this investigation, and hopefully how to get to the bottom of tracking down whoever is committing these murders.</p><p>    Ever since arriving at this museum, however, I've had a bad feeling about what's going on here. I'm nearly positive that something suspicious is going on behind the scenes here, and one of the guards keeping a secret about the curator doesn't alleviate my suspicions. Could this have anything to do with the pearl that Maya and I came here for? There's really no way to tell. But, if important things at this museum have gone missing... well, worst case scenario could be that Hebi Hibiki lost the pearl, or otherwise doesn't have it anymore.</p><p>    I gulp uneasily at the thought of losing our only lead. It's so... frustrating! This is the most vague investigation I've ever been on, and I feel like I'm stuck in a dark room trying to find a way out.</p><p>    But for right now, I have to focus on the matter at hand. We've got to take this one step at a time.</p><p>    "Ah! Here we are," our guide announces as we approach an unassuming door. Hibiki shuffles through the pockets of his ornate coat to locate his keys, and within moments the lock is undone and the door swings open.</p><p> </p><p>    <em> April 11th, 2:06 pm </em></p><p>
  <em>     Sniffsonian Museum Curator's Office </em>
</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fUHIi1sBUw"> Elegant ~ And Excellence </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    I would say that Hebi Hibiki's behavior displays a whimsy unlike any I've seen before... but in truth, I've run into plenty of colorful characters in the past. Compared to what I've witnessed and who I've met in my career, a frilly eccentric dressed like he's ready to go to a Mozart concert doesn't seem all that out of the ordinary.</p><p>    As he enters his office, he holds the door open and extends his arm, beckoning us into his quarters. As we take our seats in the center of the room, he circles around his expensive desk, walking with a dignified--albeit pretentious--superiority. He almost makes a spectacle of the way he slides into his chair. "Ahhh..." he exhales, relaxing. "If I may, I have a bit of paperwork to which I need to attend. Please, by all means, tell me about yourselves. Though I'll work my pen, I promise you my utmost attention!"</p><p>    Maya and I glance at one another, wondering what to say. She takes the initiative. "Well, Mr. Hibiki, I'm Maya, and this is my friend Nick," she introduces.</p><p>    He tilts his head curiously. "Ah? Did I mishear? I had thought I had heard you say your name was Phoenix-- oh, I see, I see. 'Nick' is a 'nick'name! Ho ho! how charming!" he speaks in plain English, displaying bilingual skill. He then chuckles, in what seems to be just an overall state of permanent amusement. "And from where do you hail? Pardon if this may seem rude, but I can tell by your appearances that you are not from here."</p><p>    "We're travelers from America, and we're on vacation here in Japan!" Maya explains. I can tell that her modest details are deliberate in not revealing too much about ourselves. We don't know whether or not the gentleman in front of us will be a friend or foe, so it may put us at a disadvantage to immediately reveal that I'm a lawyer and that Shido sent us.</p><p>    "Ah! Please accept my thanks!" he replies, looking up from his papers briefly to give us a pleasant smile, "I am incredibly humbled that my museum has drawn the eye of even foreigners such as yourself. I pride myself on the quality of my establishment, and you already reward me with your presence here."</p><p>    This man is just so... fanciful. He's incredibly posh, and very polite. His demeanor just invites vibes of fancy into the room. "The honor is all ours, thank you for your time and your attention," I reply.</p><p>    After a few mad swipes with his pen, he folds his papers into a stack and taps them until they are perfectly aligned before sorting them into a desk draw. "Now, monsieur and mademoiselle, how may I help you?" he begins, folding his fingertips into a tent-like shape as he rests his arms on the surface of his workspace.</p><p>    I'll have to consider how to approach our true objective. If Hibiki is holding onto the pearl as a favor for Shido, he would probably store it within some kind of personal collection, or just otherwise keep it out of sight. I wouldn't expect it to be out on display like other items. So how can I draw it out and confirm that he has it? </p><p>    "Well, Mr. Hibiki," I begin, "My associate and I are appreciators of unique items. And, word has it that the Sniffsonian owner has a number of unique items as well."</p><p>    The curator smiles excitedly and claps his fingers together. "O ho HO! I see that rumors have spread after all. Indeed, I do possess a collection of my own. It is as expansive as it is varied. What perhaps might you be looking to see?"</p><p>    "Well," I begin, "We're always on the look out for out-of-this-world items."</p><p>    "Nick and I are gem enthusiasts, actually!" Maya asserts. "We've always got our eyes out for any kinds of precious rocks, stones, jewelry... you name it! We were wondering if you had anything along those lines."</p><p>    Looks like Maya came up with a great cover story on the spot. Way to go, Maya! "Hmm! Intriguing, indeed," Hibiki remarks, "I have a number of items I could show you. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, pearls..."</p><p>    "Pearls!" Maya interjects, "Definitely pearls, those are my favorite!"</p><p>    "You are very direct with your interests," the man chuckles, "I like that. And I think I may have one particular piece which could tickle your fancy. Allow me to go retrieve it."</p><p>    He stands from his chair and goes to the corner of his office where there is a door locked by a keypad. He presses a few numbers to unlock the door, and he enters. I had thought it would be the size of a regular closet, but from where I sit the inside of the locked room looks like it could be as big or bigger than the office we are sitting in. His personal collection must be pretty large.</p><p>    "Ah! Here we are," I hear him exclaim. After a few moments of wait, he emerges carrying a black briefcase. He sits back down and sets the box down on the table. He carefully rotates it until it's facing us, and he opens it slowly.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkRQJLeZG5s"> Planetarium </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    Inside seems to be a small orb of some kind. However, after a few moments of stillness, light begins to extend from the orb. If I'm not seeing things, it even begins to hover in the air a bit, and it feels as if it has grown from it's original small size to about the size of a hand, much larger than it looked initially. "Fascinating, isn't it? I believe this constitutes 'out-of-this-world,' wouldn't you say?"</p><p>    I... hear a woman's voice in my head. I can't understand what the voice is saying, but I'm positive I hear something. I turn to Maya to see how she is reacting, and she has a look of awe on her face as well. Her gaze and her head lean up and slightly turn as if she's trying to locate where a sound is coming from. She finally looks at me and nods her head. We're on the same page, then. This "pearl" is clearly supernatural, I can tell even at a glance. </p><p>    "That's amazing..." Maya speaks in total awe.</p><p>    "I had a feeling connoisseurs such as yourselves would enjoy seeing such a sight. This is indeed one of the finest items in my possession," Hibiki boasts proudly.</p><p>    "What exactly is it?" I ask, probing for a bit more info, "And where did it come from?"</p><p>    Hibiki seems bedazzled by his own item. "I'm not entirely sure what it is. I've taken to calling it 'Aurora Borealis,' as that's what it reminds me of. As to its origins, well... I've been holding on to it as per the request of a friend."</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    Well, this is it. We know he owns the item which Shido told us about. Maya and I look at each other uneasily. Do we just tell him outright that we are here for that pearl?</p><p>    I need to think here. While I could potentially just ask for it, I don't feel so great about the circumstances. Is Hebi Hibiki loyal to Shido enough that he'll just hand it over? And that poses a problem itself, because Shido was apparently a terrible criminal in the past back when Shido gave him the pearl. Hibiki could be a criminal, too. There's really no telling how this could go...</p><p>    On top of everything else, ever since we arrived here, the museum has seemed... wrong. That man looking for the curator could mean trouble, too. We have no idea what exactly is going on beneath the surface here at this museum. That guard keeping a secret doesn't exactly alleviate my concerns, either. </p><p>    "Is something the matter, monsieur?" Hibiki asks me. I must have been zoning out. </p><p>    I think it will be best to look before I leap, so to speak. I want to figure out just what exactly is off about this place. "Mr. Hibiki, I just had a few questions, if you don't mind. About the Sniffsonian, specifically."</p><p>    "Oh? And what do you mean?" he inquires.</p><p>    I show him the <b>Sniffsonian Article</b> and hand it to him. "I noticed this newspaper outside of the building, and I can't help be find myself curious about the subject matter. Is it true that some of your pieces have gone missing without a trace?"</p><p>    He raises an eyebrow and skews his mouth with the starting signs of what could become a distrustful sneer. "Well, yes. Does this concern you?"</p><p>    "Well, we came an awfully long way here!" Maya interjects, "It would be a shame if we don't get to see absolutely everything the Sniffsonian has to offer!"</p><p>    Nice save, Maya. In an instant his doubts evaporate. He even begins softly clapping the tips of his hands rapidly. "Oh ho ho! I see, I see! You raise an excellent point. It is regretful that I must admit the loss of some of our display pieces. Though, rest assured you haven't missed anything that other guests have had the pleasure of seeing.</p><p>    My facial expression invites him to continue. "To elaborate, I mean that the missing pieces were not officially part of any exhibits yet. However, it is to my great shame that the various disappearances have begun leaving a most unsightly stain on this museum's reputation. I am doing all I can to alleviate these concerns, however. And rest assured, the original owners and creators of the lost pieces have been most fairly compensated for the trouble."</p><p>    He sighs and slouches his cheek against his fist. "Though my negligence has perhaps robbed them of their artistic expression, at least there is solace in knowing that, financially, amends have been made, and thankfully no bridges have been burned."</p><p>    Hmm... should I take his words at face value? Is it true that no one has been upset with the state of the things at the Sniffsonian?</p><p>    Well, there is one person I can think of who may not be hunky-dory with Mr. Hibiki. Someone who has a bone to pick, in fact. I don't know <em> why </em> he does, but perhaps just mentioning him could draw out some more info.</p><p>    I take out my notebook and show Mr. Hibiki the short character profile I've constructed on the <b>Mysterious Man </b>we met earlier. "Mr. Hibiki, Maya and I ran into a gentleman in a suit earlier who seemed very interested in having a word with you. He even said that he 'has a bone to pick' with you."</p><p>    The curator doesn't seem too particularly phased. "Hrm... another one...? This is getting rather tiresome."</p><p>    So he's accustomed to strange characters wanting to talk with him. But did this one we ran into say or do anything remarkable?</p><p>    Come to think of it, he really did. Maya remembers it to, and she speaks up. "Mr. Hibiki, this man said something strange. He said to tell you that 'a friend of the Director' wants to meet with you."</p><p>    The curator's eyes widen slightly, and we have his undivided attention.</p><p>    "He said that you were about to make a big mistake, and that he wants to talk some sense into you," I add.</p><p>    Mr. Hibiki holds his chin and his hand slumps a bit downward. His eyes meet with his desk, but he stares blankly as if he's looking a thousand miles away. "How... how could he have found out so quickly..."</p><p>    "Mr. Hibiki... what exactly is going on here at this museum?" I beg him to answer.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5SVx0Gst3c"> Thrill Theme ~ Suspense </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "Why are you sssticking your nose where it doesn't belong?" he questions sharply, even hissing slightly. "Well? You must have some secret motive here, so out with it! What, pray tell, are you in my office for?"</p><p>    Time to take the direct approach. "Maya and I were sent here by the advice of Masayoshi Shido. He told us that you are keeping that pearl you showed us earlier, and told us that if we mentioned his name you could deliver it to us."</p><p>    His eyes narrow into slits. "Any business I may have done with Mr. Shido is long in the past. His behavior was most unbecoming of one in his post, and I had nothing to do with his schemes nor did I know anything of them. What's more, I will have no affiliation with such an uncouth individual, or anyone here on his behest."</p><p>    "But Mr. Hibiki, we don't mean any trouble-" Maya pleads.</p><p>    Hibiki raises his voice. "You aren't tourists at all! You're just like all the others! Did you make up that story about the mysterious person? Or perhaps he's one of your associates!"</p><p>    "Mr. Hibiki, sir," I beg, "Please, just-"</p><p>    "If you would be so kind, please leave my office before I lose my temper and have my security staff deal with you."</p><p>    "W-Wait just a moment, let me explain!" I argue. If he really does have possession of that pearl, this may be our only chance of finding it! And that pearl is the only lead in the world that can help us find out if someone is committing heinous murders!</p><p>    "OUT, you CHHHARLATAN SSSCOUNDRELS!" the curator shouts, jumping out of his chair like lightning and flinging everything atop his desk at us. Maya and I are assaulted by a wave of papers, books, pens, and other office supplies, with enough force to knock our chairs backwards. The two of us struggle to our feet and scamper out of the room quickly, just in time to avoid being hit by the door on the way out as he slams it shut.</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    <em> April 11th, 2:15 pm </em></p><p>
  <em>     Sniffsonian Museum Atrium Third Floor </em>
</p><p> </p><p>    Damn it. I pushed our luck too far. I was hoping to test the waters to make sure asking for the pearl was even safe, but now I've just upset him.</p><p>    I'm still in a daze from whatever just happened, and Maya is in an angry huff. She pulls out her earbud and throws her phone at me. "How rude can you get, seriously! Literally throwing people out of your office. That guy has some nerve! And on top of that, Alibaba won't stop chattering and I can't even hear myself think! You talk to him!"</p><p>    I blink a few times before putting the earbud in and listening. "I assume I'm speaking to Mr. Wright, now?" the robotic voice greets.</p><p>    "That's right," I confirm.</p><p>    "Did you get to see the pearl? What did it look like?" I'm asked.</p><p>    I try to verbalize what I witnessed. "I saw it, it was shining so brightly it didn't even look real. It was like an orb of pure light."</p><p>    "... Just how I remember it," Alibaba sighs.</p><p>    Wait a minute... "You've seen this object before?"</p><p>    "Never mind that," he deflects. I want to ask him more, but now may not be the time. If we can't get the pearl then it won't matter. Either way, Alibaba keeps right on speaking. "Allow me to try and make sense of what I've heard so far. So, the museum has missing art pieces, at least one person and probably more are looking for the curator, and he refuses to cooperate with you in any capacity. Am I correct so far?"</p><p>    "Agonizingly so," I groan.</p><p>    "And judging by the noise I'm guessing you two were just thrown out of his office?"</p><p>    "It feels like I'm up to my neck in a pile of papers, because whatever was on top of his desk a moment ago is now on top of us," I explain, before finally attempting to clean myself up a bit. Most of the papers are blank, which is probably why he's not concerned about throwing them away like this. Nothing else of note seems to be...</p><p>    *!*</p><p>    Hold on a moment... what's this pocket-sized booklet?</p><p>    "What's that you've got in your hand, Nick?" Maya asks, having noticed.</p><p>    I open it up and... </p><p>    "It looks like a day planner!" I explain. Sure enough, skimming through it reveals all kinds of memos, appointments, and other notes.</p><p>    "Whoa... is it really ok to go through his stuff like that?" Maya raises as a concern.</p><p>    "Well, he DID basically just give it to us. Just... really violently. Via throwing it."</p><p>    "If I may, Mr. Wright," Alibaba speaks into my ear, "I recall the man before saying that he anticipates Hebi Hibiki making some sort of mistake soon. A day planner is exactly the place to look to see just what exactly it is he has on his schedule."</p><p>    I skim through the booklet and reach the page for today, April 11th. It's a vertical column of blank spaces, each one corresponding to a different hour of the day. He has the usual types of things written down, such as what times to meet with clients, when to have lunch, and other predictable activities. However, I notice something at the very bottom. At 11:00 pm, he has a very vague entry.</p><p>    Maya is looking over my shoulder, and sees it, too. "'BE READY FOR TOMORROW,' it says. And it's in bright, red ink as well. I wonder what that could mean?"</p><p>    "Well, presumably we're about to find out," I reply, turning the page.</p><p>    At 12:00 am, the very first thing of the day... there's an entry without any words at all. It's just the Yen sign written repeatedly, circled three times, with the same red ink. "Something is going to happen at midnight tonight, it seems. Something focused on money..."</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFy7msnqqX4"> Investigation ~ Core 2002 </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "That just makes me even more curious!" Maya grumbles.</p><p>    "Call me skeptical," Alibaba mumbles, "But I don't believe ethical transactions of money generally take place in the middle of the night."</p><p>    "That's a completely valid point," I agree, "I'd automatically assume any moonlight business going on at that hour would be sketchy at best."</p><p>    "Are there any other entries such as that one in the past or the future?" Alibaba continues.</p><p>    Good question. I backtrack through the day planner and look much more carefully. Similar reminders are listed at the bottom of pages, and nearly identical money marks are circled at the tops the next day. "Yes, there are others like it. And the ones that have already happened have actual numerical values written underneath the Yen signs, in normal black ink like everything else in the planner."</p><p>    "That seems like an important detail, if the recorded activities in the planner have values," Alibaba notes.</p><p>    Hmm... that's an interesting connection. I'm trying to figure out if those two matters can be pieced together. "Well, it stands to reason that the amounts are how much the curator is paying for something... or perhaps how much money he's making for selling something?"</p><p>    For a time, none of us say anything. I can tell that we are working hard to process this new information.</p><p>    "How far back do the entries date?" Alibaba asks.</p><p>    "Hmm..." I hum quietly, "Well, the first time the pattern starts is a week and two days ago. There's a note at the bottom of the 2nd, and at the top of the 3rd there's money marks and a number."</p><p>    Maya collects her thoughts for a few moments, and I can practically see the light bulb go off above her head. "Nick, do you think this could have something to do with the missing items?"</p><p>    *!*</p><p>    "Now THERE'S a thought," Alibaba speaks with inflection and emphasis actually uncharacteristic of the usual flat voice I'd grown accustomed too. </p><p>    "That newspaper you picked up said that a painting went missing about a week ago, right? Did it include a date?" Maya asks further.</p><p>    I shuffle through my pockets to pull out the folded paper so I can scan it quickly and answer her question. "It says they noticed it missing on the 4th. That was exactly one week ago."</p><p>    "So, let's say that it took a day or two for anyone to notice the painting missing..." Alibaba assumes, "Would that not line up perfectly with the dates in this planner?"</p><p>    "You make a good point. You may be onto something here," I agree. "I'm checking the newspaper article in more detail, and it mentions which other exhibits have gone missing with dates attributed to the losses. In theory, that means on those days, the day planner should have...!"</p><p>    "Yeah, it looks like there's a correlation!" Maya cheers, pointing to the planner. Sure enough, the dates align in the same fashion. Nightly reminders and midnight money marks with numerical values, within a day or two of each object going missing. "The dates match even better later into the week, on the same days, even! Maybe as more and more things went missing, the authorities began noticing more quickly."</p><p>    Alibaba sees where we're going with this. "So, there's a very good chance that there is a relationship between the curator's daily schedule as well as the loss of new art exhibits."</p><p>    "That's what I'm thinking," I agree, "And before we jump to any more conclusions, I think I know just the person we can ask to learn more."</p><p>    "Was it that guard from earlier?" Maya questions, "With the way you were asking him questions and showing him things... he had Psyche-Locks, didn't he?"</p><p>    "'Psyche-Locks?'" Alibaba repeats, having never heard the phrase.</p><p>    I nod my head. "It's a long story, but Maya and I have a few special tools of our own. We can explain later, if need be. And yes, Maya, he did. There's just one lock left that I couldn't break earlier, but perhaps with this day planner we can get him to fess up and tell us just what it is he's hiding."</p><p>    I add <b>Curator's Day Planner</b> to my inventory.</p><p>    Maya jumps with pep. "Alright, then, Nick. Let's go find that guard!"</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    "I believe I heard that the guard you were speaking with was stationed on the third floor, Alibaba points out, "He should already be nearby."</p><p>    We scan around for a bit. Sure enough, we see him walking around the curved balcony of the third floor, same as us. It's only a short walk around the circular path to reach him. "Excuse me! Kuchibiru-san?" I call, getting his attention. I sure hope I got his name right.</p><p>    He turns around and looks at us. "Oh. Hello again," he greets awkwardly with a bit of caution. I can tell he doesn't really know what else to say.</p><p>    "I apologize for bringing this up again... but I really think there is something suspicious going on here at the Sniffsonian, and I need you to tell me what you know," I plea.</p><p>    He shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what you are talking about. Am I going to have to escort you out of the building?"</p><p>    Time to use the <b>Magatama</b> once more.</p><p>    </p><p>    </p><p> </p><p>    My vision goes black as I see chains jettison in from the shadows to form a protective seal over the guard, held in place by the last Psyche-Lock from before.</p><p> </p><p>    <em> -- Something Smells at the Sniffsonian Pt 2 -- </em></p><p> </p><p>    ---Music:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-3BS9GjrW0"> Psyche-Locks</a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "Nope, no way, no how, there's nothing strange or abnormal at all here at the Sniffsonian!" the guard speaks, giving me deja vu.</p><p>    Last time I tried to pressure this guard into giving information, I unfortunately hit a wall. But this time, I'm armed with a new item that might just work.</p><p>    "I'm almost certain something is amiss here. Perhaps even with the curator himself!" I assert.</p><p>    "What do you mean by that?" the guard questions with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>    "I want you to take a look at the <b>Curator's</b> <b>Day Planner</b> I received," I announce, showing him the object in question.</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    </p><p> </p><p>    He immediately attempts to grab it from me, but I maneuver around and keep the planner with me. "Where did you get that? That belongs to Hibiki-san! That's theft!"</p><p>    I shake my head, and Maya jumps in to speak before I can. "Mr. Hibiki gave it to us! More or less!" she shouts.</p><p>    The guard is as confused as can be, and while he tries to sort out what is happening, I open up the planner and begin pointing out the memos and dates. "Kuchibiru-san, take a look at these entries in his planner. I've been looking into the dates that newly submitted museum exhibits have gone missing, and all of the times match with these entries within his planner!"</p><p>    *!*</p><p>    Kuchibiru is wide eyed. "That's, uh, well..."</p><p>    I can see the lock in front of him begin to jostle, shaking in place. "Perhaps you don't know of any suspicious activities yourself, but the curator almost certainly does. So I ask you: what can you tell me about the curator?"</p><p>    The lock breaks completely, and the chains begin rescinding back the way they came, disappearing into nothingness right as the darkness begins shifting back to the normal look and feel of my surroundings.</p><p> </p><p>    </p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fUHIi1sBUw"> Elegant ~ And Excellence </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    Hebi Hibiki bursts onto the scene with an explosive shout, and he does NOT look happy. "You are no more than common thieves! Give me back my book at once!"</p><p>    Damn! I had that guard right where I wanted him, I was so close!</p><p>    Unfortunately, the curator storms towards me with such an aggressive walk that I nearly fold backwards as he gets into my face and rips the day planner out of my hands. "Officer Yuri, detain these two at once! I want them out of my museum and in police custody!"</p><p>    "It's, uh, Yurui! Sir! My name is Yurui! And, um, right away, Hibiki-san!" the guard complies nervously. He grabs both of our shoulders and begins dragging us towards the stairs and away from Hibiki, who is still fuming even as he leaves our sight.</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    It's a good thing this guard seems to be rather shaken up, and probably not thinking right. I would have expected to be in handcuffs already in a situation like this, but he continues leaving us unrestrained for the most part as he leads us out. I won't say a word, and hopefully he'll let us off the hook at the very least once he takes us out of the building. This situation is not ideal...</p><p>    Maya looks ready to burst into a fireball of anger, but with a glance I silently communicate to her to keep her cool. She nods, and we continue as the guard leads us.</p><p>    The walk down the stairs is long and uncomfortably, physically as he holds my shoulder and mentally as all of us keep silent. Even Alibaba isn't saying anything. What in the world is he doing at a time like this?!</p><p>    The silence breaks when the guard speaks softly to us. "Actually... you are right. Or, you might be right. About the museum, and the curator..."</p><p>    *!*</p><p>    I DID break his Psyche-Locks. Does this mean he's going to fess up regardless? Maybe there's silver lining to this!</p><p>    "All I know are rumors. Nothing seems substantiated at this point. But, word around the museum is... the curator has ties to the black market."</p><p>    *!*</p><p>    </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3H2zgtu9X0"> Suspense </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "The black market?!" Maya repeats in startled surprise.</p><p>    "Yeah. He stays here into the late hours on some nights, and some of the employees say they see cars they don't recognize parked around the building when it's supposed to be locked up for the night. They are starting to think he might be selling the missing art pieces and using some of the profits to pay off the contributors so they don't complain about their art getting lost."</p><p>    "Looks like you were right, Maya..." I mumble.</p><p>    "I wish I hadn't been. This is definitely not good..." she laments, the revelation weighing heavily on her shoulders.</p><p>    I want to be thorough and pry all the information I can. "Is there anything else at all you can tell us, Yurui-san?"</p><p>    "Well... the curator has a personal collection of goods he keeps. Stuff like gifts from friends, personal nick-nacks, and stuff like that. A little after closing time, I've seen boxes getting wheeled out on carts from his storage room. He may be selling his own stuff, too."</p><p>    "Oh no... Nick, this is really, REALLY not good," Maya exhales stressfully.</p><p>    Damn it all... we know he has the pearl, he showed it to us! But now it turns out he might be preparing to sell it off--or worse. What it's already been sold, and someone is going to pick it up tonight?</p><p>    We reach the bottom of the stairs, and the atrium's ground floor.</p><p> </p><p>    <em> April 11th, 2:19 pm </em></p><p>
  <em>     Sniffsonian Museum Atrium </em>
</p><p> </p><p>    My shoulder is starting to get really sore from the firm grip on it as we are continually dragged.</p><p>    "I'm sorry, but, I'm going to have to call the police now," the guard apologizes surprisingly sincerely. "I don't know your reasons for snooping around, but I know I'll be fired if I disobey the curator..."</p><p>    "Nick, it can't end like this...!" Maya huffs with determination.</p><p>    "Don't worry, it won't," Alibaba speaks into my ear. Where in the heck was he this whole time...? And what does he mean?</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    I hear someone shout loud enough to get the attention of the whole atrium.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec4YbVP9R-A"> Last Surprise </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "OutRAGEOUS. Simply OUTRAGEOUS! YOU, sir, have NO eye for art whatsoever!" the voice yells.</p><p>    The guard stops walking and turns his attention to the commotion. There seems to be a blue haired young man raising his voice at another person, and both of them are standing within a roped off area. So many blue haired people these days. "Security! Security!!" the angry man continues shouting, "Come attend to this... this tasteless individual! He's insulting my painting!"</p><p>    The man turns around and points directly at the guard holding us. "You there, guard! Some assistance, please!"</p><p>    Yurui seems just as confused as we are, and he lets go of our shoulders and begins walking towards the ruckus. "Uhhhh, you two aren't supposed to be back there, that area is off limits..." he explains with reservation.</p><p>    "There's your distraction," Alibaba speaks into my ear urgently, "Now, get out of there. Quickly."</p><p>    I have no idea what is happening, but evidently Alibaba has done something to create a way out for us. With the guard too distracted to keep an eye on us, we can slip away unnoticed.</p><p>    "What's happening, Nick?" Maya asks.</p><p>    "I don't know, but Alibaba told us to get moving!"</p><p>    Before we know it, we're merging into the nearest crowd of people and headed back towards the entrance.</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    <em> April 11th, 2:21 pm </em></p><p>
  <em>     Sniffsonian Museum Entrance </em>
</p><p> </p><p> ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zZHIDGghP8"> Investigation ~ Core 2001 </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    Looks like we're in the clear, for now. We've successfully left the museum and escaped back to the parking lot. "Geeze... what a mess that was!" Maya shouts.</p><p>    I pull out my earbud and put Alibaba on open speaker so we can both hear him. "What just happened?" I ask.</p><p>    "I had a few of my associates positioned and ready to aid you if things went south. And things sounded pretty south," Alibaba explains.</p><p>    "I thought it was super dangerous for you guys to be out investigating in public?" Maya recollects.</p><p>    "It is. But, the circumstances have changed."</p><p>    I straighten my tie and take a deep breath of fresh air. "Well, thank you for bailing us out."</p><p>    "It's the least I can do. But, now, it seems like we need to reorient ourselves about what is going on."</p><p>    "Did you hear the things the security guard said?" I ask.</p><p>    "Yes. I'm very concerned. Selling art behind closed doors is a different problem all together; what I'm worried about is the comments about Hibiki's personal collection," Alibaba explains with reservation in his voice. "If not even those are safe from being sold, then we have a huge problem on our hands."</p><p>    I pound one of my fists into my other palm in frustration. "I had the same worries."</p><p>    "But what can we do about this...?" Maya questions, "We've already been kicked out."</p><p>    "Yeah. Our hands our tied. I don't think we'll be able to go back in, not without getting arrested, at least," I grumble.</p><p>    "Well...  maybe we can sneak back in some time?" Maya suggests with an uncertain hesitation.</p><p>    "You're joking, right? Then we'll DEFINITELY get arrested."</p><p>    "Well... we ARE working with Phantom Thieves here... maybe they can..."</p><p>    I shake my head. "Not going to happen," I lay out firmly, "We're not going to simply turn our head while someone else breaks the law."</p><p>    All of us are quiet, until I speak again. "Do you have any ideas, Alibaba?" I ask.</p><p>    There's still quiet for a time. "Well. It may be difficult to move forward. The circumstances have changed yet again."</p><p>    I'm a bit skeptical of what that means. "Well, there's no need for us to do anything rash in the first place. We'll just have to think of something..."</p><p>    Still the awkward silence persists, at least until Alibaba attempts to wrap up the conversation. "Well. I imagine you two would like to go back and get some rest, or do something to enjoy the remainder of your day. If you need to contact me, I'll be available at this number. And, if we find a solution to this issue, we will contact you."</p><p>    "Alright. Thank you for the help," I give as formal recognition.</p><p>    *Click*</p><p>    The two of us sigh in unison. "Nick, don't you think it's kinda silly how much trouble we're going through just to get some weird pearl we know nothing about?" </p><p>    I think back to the sensation I experienced when the pearl was in front of me. "You heard it too, right? A strange echo that almost sounded like the voice of a woman. That had to have been supernatural"</p><p>    "I know it was fancy looking, and it may even be supernatural. But, even if it is, how could it possibly help us investigate murders?"</p><p>    I've had the same worries on my mind, so I understand Maya's concern. "Well, look at the magatama you gave me. It's just a small gem, but it contains spiritual energy and special powers. What's to say there aren't more objects like it out there? That pearl turned into a glowing orb of light front of us. It's clearly special, and there must be some power it has or at least some use for it."</p><p>    "The magatama is just a piece of jewelry until it gets charged by a spirit medium. I sure hope the thing even works if we ever do get our hands on it..." she flippantly suggests. </p><p>    "Well, I certainly hope that as well. But getting a hold of it is a big step we are skipping here..." I gulp.</p><p>    "What exactly ARE our options right now, anyway?" Maya asks seriously.</p><p>    "Well... the authorities are already investigating the missing items, allegedly. So calling them for help won't really change anything."</p><p>    "Could we take him to court over ownership of it? It DID belong to Shido first," Maya suggests.</p><p>    I shake my head. "I don't think that will work. In the first place, Shido was the one who stole it from someone else. It originally belonged to that scientist person. Wakaba, I think her name was."</p><p>    Maya lowers her head. "So he has no rightful claim to ownership, huh..."</p><p>    We sigh simultaneously a second time.</p><p>    "Maybe we could find a way to buy things from the curator directly?" I contemplate.</p><p>    "Well, WE couldn't do that," Maya reminds me, "I don't think he'll want to see our faces again. But, maybe we can get someone to help us out?"</p><p>    I consider the situation. "Someone reputable who could make offers without raising suspicions or involving us, right?"</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    Maya snaps her fingers. "Miss Andrews!" she shouts.</p><p>    "Adrian Andrews?" I ask, and upon saying her name, instantly realize why she'd be the perfect candidate. "Right! Miss Andrews is a curator herself! Well, kind of. She's definitely in the industry."</p><p>    "Let's ask her if she can help!" Maya suggests enthusiastically. "She can make contact with the Sniffsonian, tell them she's interested in purchasing anything from them they have to offer, and perhaps directly buy the pearl if that Hibiki guy is truly wanting to sell it."</p><p>    "That's a really good idea! Do you still have her number, Maya?"</p><p>    "I sure do! I'll call her right now."</p><p>    We both wait for a few moments while her phone rings, awaiting our friend Adrian to pick up.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pKqyb-6aHc"> Lordly Tailor Department Store </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "Hello?" a familiar voice answers.</p><p>    "Hello, Miss Andrews! This is Maya, Maya Fey. Do you have a moment?" my partner greets.</p><p>    "Maya! It's good to hear from you. And of course I have a moment, I'm just preparing to close the store soon. How is your vacation going?" she asks.</p><p>    "Well, kinda complicated, actually!" Maya answers truthfully, "We just got kicked out of a museum and almost arrested in fact."</p><p>    I can practically see Adrian's surprised expression now. "Excuse me, what?"</p><p>    "Hold on, let me explain a bit more. So, we have a good reason to be after this very specific pearl, right? It could be a crucial to what we're investigating right now. The curator of the Sniffsonian museum has it. We were snooping around and he got really mad at us, so we can't really go back in or we'll cause a stir."</p><p>    "Wow, that's um, wow," she responds as she tries to grasp the situation, and even when confused she sounds very professional in tone. "You guys are on an investigation now, even on vacation?"</p><p>    "Some unexpected things happened," Maya admits, "But, anyway, we were wondering if you could help us out. You've curated plenty of exhibits in the past, right?"</p><p>    "That's right. The Treasures of Kurain Exhibit was the first of many events I've organized. Thankfully, none of them have gone as off-script as the first one did..."</p><p>    "Yep, that's what I thought! So here's what Nick and I were thinking: since you're in the business of acquiring display pieces for new exhibits, perhaps you can contact the Sniffsonian and ask if they'd be willing to sell any pearls for an exhibit or something. Nick can wire you the money, and then you could legitimately buy the pearl so we can avoid any kind of drama."</p><p>    Nick can do what now? I'm cringing thinking what my bank account will look like if I have to buy a priceless object...</p><p>    "Hmm. That's a peculiar proposal," she notes, "Do you have any contact information so that I can reach the museum?"</p><p>    "I'm sure we can text you a number," Maya smiles.</p><p>    "What time is it where you are, anyway? Is it within reasonable business hours that I could call them now?" Miss Andrews asks.</p><p>    "Almost 2:30 in the afternoon," Maya answers.</p><p>    "Ah! Perfect. So, what do I need to know before I speak with this curator?" she asks.</p><p>    Maya seems to be contemplating the details. "Well, ask the curator if he has any gems that glow brightly. The one we're looking for fits that bill. It looks like rumor has it the curator is selling off things under the table, so he might be willing to part with it for a price."</p><p>    "I see. Well, I will call you back after I reach them to let you know how it goes," Adrian explains, "I hope I'll be able to help."</p><p>    "Great! We owe you one, Miss Andrews!" Maya thanks passionately.</p><p>    "It's no problem at all. Talk to you soon."</p><p>    *Click*</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    "So... what do we do now?" Maya wonders.</p><p>    "I suppose there isn't much to do but wait," I reply.</p><p>    "Well, there isn't much point in us staying here. We may as well head back into the city and find something to do until Miss Andrews calls us back."</p><p>    "Hmm... I've heard that there are places where we can get pretty good sushi," I remember, "And I'm pretty hungry right now."</p><p>    "Sushi it is!" Maya claps with a smile, and the two of us head out.</p><p> </p><p>    <em> April 11th, 5:30 pm </em></p><p>
  <em>     Gatewater International </em>
</p><p> </p><p>    It's been a couple of hours since we left the museum, and things have settled down by now. Back in our hotel room, we take some time to relax and unwind.</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AUjIE8t6v4"> Ringtone ~ Steel Samurai Theme </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "Oh, she's calling back!" Maya alerts me cheerily, and she immediately answers he phone.</p><p>    *Click*</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    "Hello again, Miss Andrews!" Maya greets. </p><p>    "Hello, Maya," Adrian returns, sounding incredibly sleepy. "I'm sorry to say that I have bad news. As it turns out, he's selling the pearl, but... he already found a buyer."</p><p>    *!*</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3H2zgtu9X0"> Suspense </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "He wouldn't tell me who, he claimed because of client confidentiality..." Adrian continues, and I can hear regret in her voice. "All he told me was that, very soon, it would no longer be in his possession."</p><p>    "Shoot! And we were on the right track, too..." I lament.</p><p>    Maya connects a few dots. "That must be what the notes in his planner meant. He plans to sell it, and he's going to do it tonight!"</p><p>    I bite my lip. "So, we're pretty much out of time..."</p><p>    "What can we do, Nick...?" Maya asks me with heavy uncertainty.</p><p>    I think deeply on what move we could possibly make.</p><p>    "Can you still make a counter offer? How much money does he want for it?" I ask.</p><p>    "I tried negotiating for a very long time, but he was firm. He said he had already been transferred an upfront payment from the buyer. I'm sorry. I truly am," Miss Andrews apologizes. "But, if it's any help at all, I do have an industry contact or two out there in Japan. Perhaps I can fill them in and see if they can help?"</p><p>    "An industry contact?" Maya repeats, prodding an explanation.</p><p>    "In a way. I know someone who is in your area right now who may have the resources to obtain the pearl instead of it being sold to whatever buyer was planning to pay for it."</p><p>    I'm stressed to the point of a slowly building headache. "I'm really at a loss of how to get that pearl in time. If you have any way to help at all, we'd really appreciate it."</p><p>    "I understand," Adrian says with a serious tone, "I'll contact them and tell them what's going on, and if they have any means to help, they can reach out to you and let you know," she continues, though her serious tone loosens and she gives a big yawn. It must be already into the AM hours back in California.</p><p> </p><p>    ---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p>    "We appreciate it, truly," I thank, "Sorry for causing you to lose sleep over our problems."</p><p>    She laughs lightly. "It's not an issue at all. I'll call my friend right away and see if he can do anything to help."</p><p>    "Alright. Goodnight, Miss Andrews!" Maya signs off, and the call ends.</p><p>    *Click*</p><p>    "I guess there's not much to do now but wait," Maya concludes.</p><p>    I close my eyes and nod. "Unfortunately. Whether Alibaba or Adrian's friend come through for us, we can't really do anything ourselves."</p><p>    "Maybe we should come up with a Plan B?" Maya suggests, "Like, how to find out where the pearl is being sold to, and figure out a way to get it from there."</p><p>    "Hmm... if we could somehow track it down, that might be an easier alternative. We'd have a better chance of buying it from a stranger than we would interacting with that curator again, since he is already fed up with us..."</p><p>    Maya tilts her head, thinking. "They'd probably want a crazy amount of money to part with something they just went through the trouble of buying in the first place."</p><p>    "Well. It's something to think on, at least. Maybe we should rest for the time being, then go back at it refreshed and with clear heads."</p><p>    I can actually feel myself nodding off a bit. Today has been longer than I thought. "Yeah... I'm feeling pretty exhausted, anyway. I'm all for taking a nap until later tonight and hope we get contacted by Adrian's friend or Alibaba."</p><p>    </p><p>    <em> April 11th, 9:26 pm </em></p><p>
  <em>     Gatewater International </em>
</p><p>    </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AUjIE8t6v4"> Ringtone ~ Steel Samurai Theme </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    I'm woken up by the sound of Maya's phone ringing. I hear her lazily yawn as well, so she must have been out like a light, same as me. I'm groggy, but cognizant enough to ask a question. "Is it Alibaba? Or Adrian?"</p><p>    "Uhhh... no, I don't recognize this number..." Maya notes as she rubs her eyes.</p><p>    Given the situation we're in, I'm feeling a bit uneasy about unknown callers. "Here, let me answer it," I offer. She tosses me the phone.</p><p>    *Click*</p><p> </p><p>    ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpLx3iDxPv8"> Intermission ~ The Deepening of the Night </a>---</p><p> </p><p>    "Hello?"</p><p>    "Is this Maya Fey?" the voice of a woman asks. She sounds familiar, but I can't put my finger on who the voice belongs to.</p><p>    "Maya is here with me right now. This is Phoenix Wright speaking," I respond.</p><p>    "Ah, Mr. Wright! Good, I was hoping to get a hold of you," the voice explains excitedly, "It's Sae Niijima."</p><p>    I wasn't expecting to hear from her. I didn't think she would have a reason to contact me anymore with Mishima's trial settled. I put the call on speaker so Maya can hear as well. "Good evening, Niijima-san. Is everything alright?"</p><p>    "Well, yes and no," she says, though I can hear hesitation in her voice. "Actually, if I'm being honest, just no."</p><p>    That isn't good. "What's the matter?" Maya asks.</p><p>    "As it turns out... a friend of mine is in serious trouble," she elaborates. "This time, my schedule is clear and I can defend him in court. But, I could really use your co-counsel."</p><p>    "'Serious,' you say?" I repeat.</p><p>    "Yes... he has quite a list of accusations against him. Breaking and entering, for one thing. Theft, for another. And on top of it all... he's been accused of murder."</p><p>    I shift in place uneasily. "And I can take your word that this friend of yours is innocent?"</p><p>    She doesn't answer, which makes me more uneasy. "He's no murderer, of that I can swear to you," she finally answers.</p><p>    "Why do you need my help, Niijima-san?" I ask to clarify.</p><p>    "A number of reasons. Chiefly, because I've defended this man before. And because of the man's... affiliations, as well as his legal history... I'm worried that immediately defending him directly might give the impression that he has a network of allies. That might set off red flags to the wrong people and put us both in danger."</p><p>    "I don't even know where to begin with how many questions I have about what you just said," I speak, puzzled.</p><p>    "I think I've heard that you are aware of the potential existence of a political conspiracy," she adds, "Is that correct?" </p><p>    This is getting complicated. How does Sae know about that? And when she says a network of allies... I'm wracking my brain around this.</p><p>    "Yes... that's right," I confirm, "I'm assuming what you called me about deals directly with what I... and, the Phantom Thieves, are investigating."</p><p>    *!*</p><p>    I can hear her surprise clearly even over the phone. I think I'm starting to get the picture.</p><p>    "This man you are defending must be a Phantom Thief," I assert, knowing I'm right.</p><p>    "Your extremely quick deductive reasoning is another reason I wish to have your aid," she states as if deflecting the subject.</p><p>    Oh no. I'm suddenly recalling earlier today, and what Alibaba said. He had promised not to do anything questionable, but at the very end he said the circumstances changed...</p><p>    "Niijima-san... <em> where </em>, exactly, did this man get accused of breaking into?"</p><p>    Brief silence, and then a direct answer. "The Sniffsonian Museum."</p><p>    Maya shakes her head slowly, in an "I told you so," type of manner. I clutch my eyes closed and firmly hold my brow in my hand in discomfort. "Of course. Why am I not surprised."</p><p>    "Nick... we <em> were </em> backed into a corner, after all," Maya points out, "I can see why the Phantom Thieves would have acted, if it meant getting the pearl before it got sold off."</p><p>    "And it's safe to assume that you are also a member of the Phantom Thieves, Niijima-san?" I address with certainty.</p><p>    I hear her sigh over the phone. "We can both explain to you once we see him at the detention center tonight. But, what I've meant to say from the beginning, if you take up his defense officially, that would be much less suspicious."</p><p>    "And that lesser suspicion means less of a chance of drawing the attention of whoever is masterminding this conspiracy."</p><p>    "Yes, that's right. If they are out there watching, we don't want to make it look like the former Phantom Thieves are making a move as a group. We'll be in danger unless we prove him innocent and establish that his accusation is a misunderstanding."</p><p>    Sae is definitely knee deep in everything that we've been looking into. She knows all the details about everything. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. "I've been slightly uncomfortable working with the Phantom Thieves from the start... and now I know they've directly broken their word to me and tried to break into the museum without my knowing."</p><p>    Sae must take my extended silence as a cue. "I can understand your reluctance in helping. You don't have to agree just yet. In fact, I'm going to visit him right now, and I'm sure meeting with him and speaking with him can answer a lot of your questions."</p><p>    "Should we give them a chance...?" Maya whispers to me.</p><p>    I think on it for a moment. "Well, Niijima-san... just text us the address of the center your friend is being held at, and we'll go."</p><p>    I hear a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Mr. Wright. Rest assured that we'll explain everything. And, I promise you, we are on your side."</p><p>    "I understand. We'll meet you there," I accept.</p><p>    *Click*</p><p>    "Alright, let's get dressed and ready to go!" Maya encourages with pep, "I'm all kinds of curious about what's going on, so we should get there ASAP and hear the details."</p><p>    "You're right about that, Maya," I agree, "The sooner the better."</p><p>    As we gather our things, my mind is racing, yet calm. I'm surprised that things are turning out this way, certainly, but... to be honest, since I started thinking about what it is we're doing here, I realize I've sort of known things would get even more complicated. I mean, working with former thieves to track down an even bigger criminal network... maybe I don't have the luxury of playing by the rules, legally. </p><p>    What are you saying, Phoenix? Get it together. I'm a lawyer! Right now, I'm needed, as a lawyer, to uphold the law and defend a new client... if he's actually innocent, that is. But, I'm worried he might not be...</p><p>    </p><p>    <em> ACT TWO END. </em></p><p> </p><p>---(Music End)---</p><p> </p><p> ---Music: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f10LFrjzM30"> Jingle ~ That's All For Today </a>---</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>     Would you like to save your game?  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>  <em>   Yes                            No </em></p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>